Where does “merwoman” come from?
merwoman (English) comes from English woman, from Middle English womman, from Old English wīfmann, from Old English mann, from Proto-West Germanic mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann-, from Proto-Indo-European men- — to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,...
merwoman (English): A mermaid
Definitions
- A mermaid
Ancestry of “merwoman”, step by step
merwoman traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English woman
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | woman | An adult female human; All female humans... |
| 2 | Middle English | womman | An female adult person; a woman; The female sex... |
| 3 | Old English | wīfmann | woman; female servant; woman |
| 4 | Old English | mann | person; man meaning mankind; man meaning adult... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | mann | person, human |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *mann- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | men- | to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,... |
via English mer
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | mer | A repeat unit: a structural unit which through... |
| 2 | English | polymer | A long or larger molecule consisting of a chain... |
| 3 | English | poly- | many; polymer |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | πολύς | many, a lot of; neuter πολύ or πολλά as... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | πόρος | a means of passage, passageway, way, opening;... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | πείρω | I pierce, run through; I cleave through |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | *péryō | — |