Etymologically
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merde

Etymology and origin of the French word merde

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
c. 1179, Roman de Renart
Inherited from
Latin merda via Old French
Ultimate origin
Latin (merda)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French merde
French emmerder

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /mɛʁd/[1]
  • IPA (Quebec): [maʁd][1]

Forms

merde f (plural merdes)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French merde, inherited from Latin merda (“dung, excrement”), a word of vulgar speech with no sure etymology.[2][3][4][5][1] Rey mentions Baltic and Slavic verbs of similar form meaning “to stink”, and Etymonline, after de Vaan, compares Lithuanian smirdėti (“to stink”) and a reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *smerdʰ- (“stench”).[3][6]

Cognate with Italian merda and Spanish mierda.[4][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the Roman de Renart (about 1179), both as an interjection of anger and contempt and as an insult for worthless people.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The literal sense, “excrement of humans and some animals”, is recorded at the end of the 12th century (Audigier), which also has estre en merde jusques au cou “to be in a hopeless fix”.[2] The proverb plus on remue la merde, plus elle pue (Nicot, 1606) continues an Old French one of about 1180.[2][3] De merde “worthless” is recorded in 1547.[2]

As an interjection it long expressed anger, contempt or refusal; from the 19th century it also expresses surprise and even admiration.[2][3] Felt as vulgar though very common, it is disguised as mercredi and as le mot de Cambronne, after the reply of Napoleon's general to the English who called on him to surrender.[3] Pilots used it in 1917 for thick weather with no visibility.[2] English borrowed merd in the late 15th century.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 1179 – Interjection and insult in the Roman de Renart.[2]
  • Late 12th century – “Excrement” in Audigier.[2]
  • Early 13th century – Used as a masculine noun, in Robert de Clari.[8]
  • 14th century – Merdeux, in Eustache Deschamps.[4]
  • 15th century – Emmerder.[4]
  • 1547 – De merde.[2]
  • 1606 – Plus on remue la merde, plus elle pue, in Nicot.[2]
  • 1917 – Thick weather, in airmen's slang.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (vulgar) excrement, shit.[9]
  2. (vulgar, figurative) A worthless person or thing: c'est de la merde, de merde, lousy.[9][2]
  3. (vulgar) Trouble, a mess: être dans la merde.[2][9]

Interjection

  1. (vulgar) Shit!, damn!: anger, contempt or refusal; also surprise or admiration.[2][3]
  2. Dire merde à quelqu'un: to wish someone good luck.[9]

Word family

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 6/2, 21a
  6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert

Derived terms

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Merde.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/merde. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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