Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “morþor” come from?

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

morþor (Old English): murder; great sin or crime, enormity

Definitions

  1. murder; great sin or crime, enormity

Ancestry of “morþor”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanicmurþrąmurder
2Proto-Indo-Europeanmrtro-murder, death; killing
3Proto-Indo-Europeanmer-to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland

Words derived from “morþor”

  • murder
  • murderer
  • murderous
  • murderess
  • murderously
  • murderousness
  • murtherous
  • murderee
  • murdress
  • nonmurderous
  • murdereth
  • murderable
  • murderabilia
  • archmurderer
  • nonmurder
  • murderball
  • murderest
  • multimurderer
  • murdery
  • antimurder
  • unmurderous
  • murdersome
  • murderhobo
  • murderbot
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mer- →