Where does “mere” come from?
mere (Middle English) comes from Old English mere, from Old English byriġ, from Old English burh, from Old English burg, from Proto-Germanic burgz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰr̥ǵʰ-.
mere (Middle English): mare; mother; sea, lake
Ancestry of “mere”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | mere | lake; pool; sea |
| 2 | Old English | byriġ | — |
| 3 | Old English | burh | Alternative form of burg; fortress; hill |
| 4 | Old English | burg | city; town; a fortified place: stronghold, fort,... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | burgz | fortification, stronghold; city |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰr̥ǵʰ- | — |
Words derived from “mere”