merwife en · NOUN
Etymology
From Old English merewīf (“water witch, mermaid”), potentially to an earlier Proto-West Germanic *mariwīb, from Proto-Germanic *mariwībą (“mermaid, siren”). By surface analysis, mer- + wife. Cognate with Old High German meriwīb. The construction varries regionally for the same basic folklore in Europe. Compare Old Swedish marnunna (literally “mer-nun”), Swedish havsfru (literally “sea-wife”), English mermaid (literally “mer-maiden”).
Meanings
- A mermaid.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| merwives | Number=Plur | lexicographic |