Where does “Märchen” come from?
Märchen (German) comes from German Mär, from Middle High German mære, from Old High German māri, from Proto-Germanic mērijaz, from Proto-Indo-European mēros — large, handsome.
Märchen (German): fairy tale
Ancestry of “Märchen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | Mär | an often repeated untruth, a fable, a false... |
| 2 | Middle High German | mære | famous |
| 3 | Old High German | māri | famous, great; well known, famous; news, tale |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | mērijaz | renowned, famous, great |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | mēros | large, handsome |
Words derived from “Märchen”