< Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic

Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/merkuz

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Germanic

Etymology

From earlier *merkwuz, from Proto-Indo-European *(h₂)mer(H)gʷ- (dark), cognate to Proto-Slavic *mergъ (brown).[1] Orr summarizes arguments for borrowing from common Slavic into common Germanic.[2] (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Disagreement in the literature”) In any case, related to Proto-Slavic *morkъ (darkness).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈmer.kuz/

Adjective

*merkuz[3]

  1. dark

Inflection


Descendants

  • Proto-West Germanic: *mirkwī
    • Old English: mirce, mierce
    • Old Saxon: mirki
  • Old Norse: myrkr
  • ? Proto-Finnic: *mürkkü (poison) (see there for further descendants)

References

  1. Kroonen, Guus (2013) “*merkw-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN
  2. Orr, Robert A. (2003) “Murk: A Neglected Slavic Loanword in Germanic?”, in Canadian Slavonic Papers, volume 45, number 1/2, pages 47–60
  3. Orel, Vladimir (2003) “merkwaz”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 268
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