Etymology Explorer › Icelandic

Where does “hafmey” come from?

hafmey (Icelandic) comes from Icelandic mey, from Old Norse mey, from Old Norse mær, from Proto-Germanic mawī, from Proto-Indo-European magʰ- — young; can, to be able.

hafmey (Icelandic): mermaid

Definitions

  1. mermaid

Ancestry of “hafmey”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Icelandicmeymaiden; virgin
2Old NorsemeyAlternative form of mær
3Old Norsemærmaid, girl, virgin; daughter; Alternative form of...
4Proto-Germanicmawīgirl
5Proto-Indo-Europeanmagʰ-young; can, to be able
Every word from Proto-Indo-European magʰ- →