Where does “Meerschaum” come from?

Meerschaum (German) comes from German Meer, from Middle High German mere, from Old High German mēro, from Proto-West Germanic *maiʀō, from Proto-Germanic maizô, from Proto-Indo-European mē- — to measure; endeavour, will, temper; many.

Meerschaum (German): seafoam; a soft white mineral, meerschaum; air...

Definitions

  1. seafoam; a soft white mineral, meerschaum; air...

Ancestry of “Meerschaum”, step by step

Meerschaum traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Meer

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanMeersea; lake
2Middle High Germanmere—
3Old High Germanmēromore
4Proto-West Germanic*maiʀōmore, larger
5Proto-Germanicmaizôcomparative degree of *mikilaz; more
6Proto-Indo-Europeanmē-to measure; endeavour, will, temper; many

via German Schaum

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanSchaumfoam, lather, froth
2Middle High Germanschūm—
3Old High Germanscūm—
4Proto-West Germanicskūmfroth, foam
5Proto-Germanicskūmazfilm; grime; scum; foam; froth; yeast
6Proto-Indo-European(s)kewH-to cover, bedeck; cover

Words derived from “Meerschaum”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European mē- →