Where does “marshmallow” come from?
marshmallow (Spanish) comes from English marshmallow, from Old English mersċmealwe, from Old English mersċ, from Proto-West Germanic marisk, from Proto-West Germanic mari, from Proto-Germanic mari, from Proto-Indo-European móri, from Proto-Indo-European mer- — to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland.
marshmallow (Spanish): marshmallow
Ancestry of “marshmallow”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | marshmallow | A species of mallow, "Althaea officinalis", that... |
| 2 | Old English | mersċmealwe | — |
| 3 | Old English | mersċ | marsh |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | marisk | lake-like, marshy; marsh, swamp |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | mari | sea, lake |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | mari | sea, ocean; lake, body of water |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | móri | sea; standing water |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | mer- | to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland |