Where does “mer” come from?
mer (Middle French) comes from Old French mer, from Latin mare, from Proto-Italic mari, from Proto-Indo-European móri, from Proto-Indo-European mer- — to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland.
mer (Middle French): sea
Ancestry of “mer”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | mer | sea |
| 2 | Latin | mare | sea; ablative singular of mās |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | mari | sea |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | móri | sea; standing water |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | mer- | to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland |