Where does “mare” come from?
mare (Middle French) comes from Old French mare, from Old Norse marr, 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 “mare”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | mare | evil; bad; evilly; badly |
| 2 | Old Norse | marr | horse; sea |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | marhaz | horse |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | skalkaz | servant |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kelH- | to cut; to split, to separate |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kel- | to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,... |
Words derived from “mare”