Where does “mortal” come from?
mortal (Old French) comes from Latin mortālis, from Latin mors, from Proto-Italic mortis, from Proto-Indo-European mértis, from Proto-Indo-European mer- — to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland.
Ancestry of “mortal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | mortālis | — |
| 2 | Latin | mors | death; corpse; annihilation |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | mortis | death |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | mértis | death |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | mer- | to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland |
Words derived from “mortal”