*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of -mer

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)mer- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *(s)méros Proto-Hellenic *(h)méros Ancient Greek μέρος (méros)lbor. English -mer Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek μέρος (méros,

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
suffix

Used to form words relating to chemical structure, denoting parts of a molecule, for example, monomer (one part), dimer (two parts), polymer (many parts).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)mer- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *(s)méros Proto-Hellenic *(h)méros Ancient Greek μέρος (méros)lbor. English -mer Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek μέρος (méros, “part”).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":lbor",
        "3": "grc:μέρος<t:part>",
        "tree": "1",
        "text": "+"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *(s)mer-\nProto-Indo-European *-os\nProto-Indo-European *(s)méros\nProto-Hellenic *(h)méros\nAncient Greek μέρος (méros)lbor.\nEnglish -mer\n[Appendix:Glossary#learned_borrowing|Learned borrowing]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"gloss\" : \"part\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"allot\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*(s)mer-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"athematic\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-os\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*(s)méros\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Hellenic\", \"term\" : \"*(h)méros\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"grk-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Ancient Greek\", \"term\" : \"μέρος\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"grc\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"lbor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-mer\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"-mer\">\nLearned borrowing from Ancient Greek μέρος (méros, “part”)."
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":lbor",
        "3": "grc:μέρος<t:part>",
        "tree": "1",
        "text": "+"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *(s)mer-\nProto-Indo-European *-os\nProto-Indo-European *(s)méros\nProto-Hellenic *(h)méros\nAncient Greek μέρος (méros)lbor.\nEnglish -mer\nLearned borrowing from Ancient Greek μέρος (méros, “part”)."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*(s)mer-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/(s)mer-#Proto-Indo-European:_allot"
    ],
    [
      "*-os",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-os#Proto-Indo-European:_athematic"
    ],
    [
      "*(s)méros",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/(s)méros"
    ],
    [
      "*(h)méros",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Hellenic/(h)méros"
    ],
    [
      "μέρος",
      "μέρος#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "μέρος",
      "μέρος#Ancient_Greek"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "suffix",
      "glosses": [
        "Used to form words relating to chemical structure, denoting parts of a molecule, for example, monomer (one part), dimer (two parts), polymer (many parts)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ],
      "recordId": "ca43dfdbe00de39a67d952761ca868c3a8b4b989955d9d15b07d871b8d9c2774",
      "rawRecordSha256": "b8ccfb103c6c7f836e97ad2ed7bf348e1f750e2f3be5561a15e6141868708cf5",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 2457030
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
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    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for -mer →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-LW1lcg