Danish

Noun

mære c

1. plural indefinite of mær

Old English

Noun

mǣre n

1. boundary, border

Declension

Descendants

• English: mere

Etymology 2

From Proto-Germanic *mērijaz ‎(“famous”), from Indo-European. Cognate with Old Saxon māri, Old High German māri, Old Norse mærr. The Proto-Indo-European root is also the source of Greek -μωρος (in ἐγχεσίμωρος ‎(enkhesímōros) ‘mighty with the spear’), Old Irish már (Scottish Gaelic mòr, compare claymore), Welsh mawr ‎(“big”).

Germanic mār-, mǣr- is also used in Germanic given names, such as Swedish Ingemar, English Aylmer, Italian Ademaro, German Dietmar, French Omer etc. Its Indo-European ancestor is conserved in Old Slavonic мѣръ ‎(měrъ/měrŭ), as in the Russian given name Владимир ‎(Vladimir), and in Gaulish given names as Segomārus and Viridomārus.

Adjective

mǣre

1. famous, renowned, illustrious
2. pure
3. (of money) sterling

Related terms

• mǣrsian

Descendants

• Middle English: mere