Where does “mere-” come from?
mere- (Middle English) comes from Old English mere-, from Proto-Germanic mari-, from Proto-Germanic mari, from Proto-Indo-European móri, from Proto-Indo-European mer- — to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland.
Ancestry of “mere-”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | mere- | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | mari- | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | mari | sea, ocean; lake, body of water |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | móri | sea; standing water |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | mer- | to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland |
Words derived from “mere-”