Where does “mere” come from?

mere (Old English) comes from Old English byriġ, from Old English burh, from Old English burg, from Proto-Germanic burgz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰr̥ǵʰ-.

mere (Old English): lake; pool; sea

Definitions

  1. lake; pool; sea

Ancestry of “mere”, step by step

mere traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old English byriġ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishbyriġ—
2Old EnglishburhAlternative form of burg; fortress; hill
3Old Englishburgcity; town; a fortified place: stronghold, fort,...
4Proto-Germanicburgzfortification, stronghold; city
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰr̥ǵʰ-—

via Proto-Germanic mari

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanicmarisea, ocean; lake, body of water
2Proto-Indo-Europeanmórisea; standing water
3Proto-Indo-Europeanmer-to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland

Words derived from “mere”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰr̥ǵʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic burgz →Every word from Old English burg →