English word origin

Etymology of mer

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 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.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

A repeat unit: a structural unit which through repetition forms a polymer.

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

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁-der. Proto-Indo-European *polh₁ús Ancient Greek πολῠ́ς (polŭ́s)lbor. English poly- 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 English polymerclip. English mer Clipping of polymer.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":clipping",
        "3": "polymer",
        "id": "unit",
        "tree": "1",
        "text": "+"
      },
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    }
  ],
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    [
      "*pleh₁-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/pleh₁-#Proto-Indo-European:_fill"
    ],
    [
      "*polh₁ús",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/polh₁ús"
    ],
    [
      "πολῠ́ς",
      "πολύς#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "poly-",
      "poly-#English"
    ],
    [
      "*(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"
    ],
    [
      "-mer",
      "-mer#English"
    ],
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      "polymer",
      "polymer#English"
    ],
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      "polymer",
      "polymer#English"
    ]
  ],
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

merpeople

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

No narrative was extracted for this section. Available source templates and references appear below; no ancestor chain has been invented to fill the gap.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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        "1": "en",
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      ],
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      ],
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

noun

Alternative form of mayor and mair.

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

See mayor.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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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-bWVy