Where does “merikäärme” come from?

merikäärme (Finnish) comes from Finnish käärme, from Proto-Finnic kärmeh, from Proto-Finnic kärmeš, from Proto-Balto-Slavic kr̥mis, from Proto-Indo-European kʷŕ̥mis — worm.

merikäärme (Finnish): sea snake; sea serpent

Definitions

  1. sea snake; sea serpent

Ancestry of “merikäärme”, step by step

merikäärme traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Finnish käärme

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishkäärmesnake
2Proto-Finnickärmehsnake
3Proto-Finnickärmeš—
4Proto-Balto-Slavickr̥misworm
5Proto-Indo-Europeankʷŕ̥misworm

via Finnish meri

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishmerisea
2Proto-Finnicmerisea
3Proto-Indo-Europeanmórisea; standing water
4Proto-Indo-Europeanmer-to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷŕ̥mis →Every word from Proto-Balto-Slavic kr̥mis →Every word from Proto-Finnic kärmeš →