Where does “merrie” come from?

merrie (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch meria, from Proto-Germanic marhijō, from Proto-Germanic marhaz, from Proto-Germanic skalkaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kelH-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel- — to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...

Ancestry of “merrie”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Dutchmeriamare, female horse
2Proto-Germanicmarhijōmare, female horse
3Proto-Germanicmarhazhorse
4Proto-Germanicskalkazservant
5Proto-Indo-European(s)kelH-to cut; to split, to separate
6Proto-Indo-European(s)kel-to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...

Words derived from “merrie”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kelH- →Every word from Proto-Germanic skalkaz →