Where does “māre” come from?
māre (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch mara, from Proto-West Germanic marā, from Proto-Germanic marǭ, from Proto-Indo-European mor-, from Proto-Indo-European mer- — to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland.
māre (Middle Dutch): incubus
Ancestry of “māre”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Dutch | mara | — |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | marā | evil spirit, nightmare |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | marǭ | evil spirit; succubus; incubus; nightmare |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | mor- | to blacken, to dirty; dirt spot; to rub, pound,... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | mer- | to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland |