English
merlin
Merlin comes from Frankish *smiril ‘falcon, hawk’, and goes back to Proto-Germanic *smirilaz.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*smirilaz‘falcon, merlin’reconstructed
- Frankishc. 250–700*smiril‘falcon, hawk’reconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400emerillon
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500merlioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1991merlin
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*smirilaz‘falcon, merlin’reconstructed
- Frankishc. 250–700*smiril‘falcon, hawk’reconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400emerillon
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500merlioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1991merlin
Earliest quotation: 1991, Thomas S. Henricks, Sport in Feudal England: “Smaller and less powerful falcons included the merlon, the…”
Every English word from Proto-Germanic *smirilaz
Today it means
noun A small falcon, Falco columbarius, that breeds in northern North America, Europe, and Asia.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *smirilaz / merlin