Where does “mere” come from?
mere (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch mēro, from Proto-West Germanic *maiʀō, from Proto-Germanic maizô, from Proto-Indo-European mē- — to measure; endeavour, will, temper; many.
Ancestry of “mere”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Dutch | mēro | more |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | *maiʀō | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | maizô | comparative degree of *mikilaz; more |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | mē- | to measure; endeavour, will, temper; many |