Where does “morass” come from?
Morass comes from Dutch moeras, from Middle Dutch marasch, from Old French mareis, from Frankish marisk, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European mer-, meaning water or sea.
morass (English): A tract of soft, wet ground; a marsh; a fen;...
Definitions
- A tract of soft, wet ground; a marsh; a fen;...
Ancestry of “morass”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Dutch | moeras | swamp, morass |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | marasch | marsh |
| 3 | Old French | mareis | marsh |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | mariscus | Alternative form of mariscos |
| 5 | Frankish | marisk | marsh, swamp; lake-like, marshy |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | mari | sea, ocean; lake, body of water |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | móri | sea; standing water |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | mer- | to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland |
Words derived from “morass”