Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “meurtre” come from?

meurtre (French) comes from Middle French meurtre, from Old French murtre, from Medieval Latin murdrum, from Frankish murth, from Old English morþ, from Old Norse morð, from Proto-Germanic murþą, from Proto-Indo-European mr̥tós — to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland.

meurtre (French): murder

Definitions

  1. murder

Ancestry of “meurtre”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchmeurtremurder
2Old Frenchmurtremurder
3Medieval Latinmurdrummurder
4Frankishmurth—
5Old Englishmorþdeath, crime; murder
6Old Norsemorðmurder
7Proto-Germanicmurþądeath; killing, murder
8Proto-Indo-Europeanmr̥tósdead; mortal
9Proto-Indo-Europeanmer-to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mer- →