Where does “mare” come from?
mare (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic marā, from Proto-Germanic marǭ, from Proto-Indo-European mor-, from Proto-Indo-European mer- — to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland.
mare (Old English): mare (evil spirit thought to torment people in their sleep)
Definitions
- mare (evil spirit thought to torment people in their sleep)
Ancestry of “mare”, step by step
mare traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Proto-West Germanic marā
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-West Germanic | marā | evil spirit, nightmare |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | marǭ | evil spirit; succubus; incubus; nightmare |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | mor- | to blacken, to dirty; dirt spot; to rub, pound,... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | mer- | to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland |
via Proto-Germanic *marā
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-Germanic | *marā | — |