Where does “マーメイド” come from?
マーメイド (Japanese) comes from English mermaid, from Middle English mermayde, from Middle English mere, from Old English mere, from Old English byriġ, from Old English burh, from Old English burg, from Proto-Germanic burgz.
マーメイド (Japanese): a mermaid
Ancestry of “マーメイド”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | mermaid | A mythological creature with a woman's head and... |
| 2 | Middle English | mermayde | mermaid |
| 3 | Middle English | mere | mare; mother; sea, lake |
| 4 | Old English | mere | lake; pool; sea |
| 5 | Old English | byriġ | — |
| 6 | Old English | burh | Alternative form of burg; fortress; hill |
| 7 | Old English | burg | city; town; a fortified place: stronghold, fort,... |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | burgz | fortification, stronghold; city |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰr̥ǵʰ- | — |