Etymograph

English

Muir

Muir comes from Scots muir ‘moor’, and goes back to Proto-Germanic *mōraz.

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*mōraz‘marsh, moor’reconstructed
  2. Old Englishc. 450–1150mōr‘marsh, wilderness, moor’
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500more
  4. Scotsc. 1450–presentmuir‘moor’
  5. EnglishtodayMuir

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*mōraz‘marsh, moor’reconstructed
  2. Old Englishc. 450–1150mōr‘marsh, wilderness, moor’
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500more
  4. Scotsc. 1450–presentmuir‘moor’
  5. EnglishtodayMuir

The story

A derivation from Scottish Gaelic muir (‘ocean’) has also been suggested.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *mer- ‘sea, lake, wetland’

remember, murder, nightmare, maritime, mortality, mortal, submarine, mortar, mara, morbid, mort, morn, mariner, muller, ambrosia, moribund, marinara, cormorant, 59 more

through Proto-Indo-European *móri ‘sea’

march, marine, mare, moor, marshy, marinate, maar, 16 more

through Proto-Germanic *mari ‘sea, ocean’

mere, marsh, 4 more

Today it means

name A surname from Scots.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *mōraz / Muir

Shirt and support for this word