Where does “murder” come from?

murder (Middle English) comes from Middle English murthre, from Old English morþor, from Proto-Germanic murþrą, from Proto-Indo-European mrtro-, from Proto-Indo-European mer- — to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland.

Ancestry of “murder”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishmurthremurder
2Old Englishmorþormurder; great sin or crime, enormity
3Proto-Germanicmurþrąmurder
4Proto-Indo-Europeanmrtro-murder, death; killing
5Proto-Indo-Europeanmer-to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland

Words derived from “murder”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European mer- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European mrtro- →Every word from Proto-Germanic murþrą →