Etymograph

English

merino

Merino comes from Spanish merino, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *meǵh₂- ‘great’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*meǵh₂-‘great’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*méǵh₂yōsreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*majjōsreconstructed
  4. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500maiōr
  5. Medieval Latin, derivedc. 600–1500maiōrīnus
  6. Spanishc. 1500–presentmerino
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1838same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*meǵh₂-‘great’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*méǵh₂yōsreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*majjōsreconstructed
  4. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500maiōr
  5. Medieval Latin, derivedc. 600–1500maiōrīnus
  6. Spanishc. 1500–presentmerino
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1838same form

Earliest quotation: 1838, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, Keeping up Appearances. […]: “Oh, mamma," cried Georgiana, and the speech was heroic…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *meǵh₂- ‘great’

much, magistrate, mastery, maestro, masterly, meister, magisterium, 7 more

through Proto-Italic *majjōs

majority, 5 more

through Medieval Latin maiōr

major, mayor, maggiore, 6 more

Today it means

noun A sheep of a Spanish breed with long, fine hair.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *meǵh₂- / merino

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