Where does “merisaukko” come from?

merisaukko (Finnish) comes from Finnish meri, from Proto-Finnic meri, from Proto-Indo-European móri, from Proto-Indo-European mer- — to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland.

merisaukko (Finnish): sea otter

Definitions

  1. sea otter

Ancestry of “merisaukko”, step by step

merisaukko traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Finnish meri

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishmerisea
2Proto-Finnicmerisea
3Proto-Indo-Europeanmórisea; standing water
4Proto-Indo-Europeanmer-to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland

via Finnish saukko

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1FinnishsaukkoEuropean otter, "Lutra lutra"; otter; Old World...
2Proto-Finnicsagukkoi
3Proto-Finnicsagarvaotter
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mer-