*mer-

Reconstruction

LIV sets up *mer- 'to disappear, die', with the zero grade *mr̥- and the o-grade *mor-.^[1] NIL has the same root and gloss.^[2] De Vaan, Kroonen, Matasović and Derksen write *mer- too.^[3][4][5][6]

Morphology

LIV lists a root aorist *mér-/mr̥- in Hittite merta (“disappeared”), a zero-grade i̯é-present *mr̥-i̯é- in Latin morior, a perfect *me-mór/mr-, and with a query a causative *mor-éi̯e-.^[1] The Armenian nasal present is an innovation.^[1] Kloekhorst reconstructs an aorist *mér-t, *mr-ént, because the Sanskrit verb is a root aorist.^[7]

Evidence

Anatolian, Indo-Iranian, Greek, Armenian, Italic, Celtic, Germanic, Baltic and Slavic attest the root.^[1][2] Neither LIV nor NIL cites a Tocharian form.^[1][2]

Competing analyses

Watkins sets up a root mer- 'to rub away, harm' that joins words such as English mortal with English morsel.^[8] LIV has a separate root for crushing, *merh₂- 'to forcibly grab, crush', with Greek μαραίνω (maraínō).^[9] Pokorny's root mer- 'to shimmer, shine' (his mer-2) is a different set of words.^[10] The root 'to think of, remember' is *(s)mer-.^[11]

Meanings

1. to disappear, to die^[1][2]

Kloekhorst takes the Hittite meaning 'to disappear' as the original one: 'to die' would have begun as a euphemism after Anatolian split off, and replaced an older verb for dying.^[7] Kroonen mentions this view.^[4]

Derivatives

• *mr̥-tó- 'dead': Ancient Greek βροτός (brotós, “mortal”), Sanskrit मृत (mṛtá, “dead”).^[2][12]
• *-mŕ̥-to-: Ancient Greek ἄμβροτος (ámbrotos, “immortal”), Old English morð (“murder”).^[2][4]
• *mr̥-ti- 'death': Latin mors, Lithuanian mirtìs.^[2]
• *mr̥-tu̯o-: Latin mortuus (“dead”).^[2][3]
• *mr̥-u̯o-: Old Irish marb (“dead”).^[2][5]
• *mŕ̥-tro-: Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌸𐍂 (maurþr, “murder”).^[2][4]

Reflexes

• Anatolian: Hittite mer- (“to disappear, vanish”).^[7]
• Indo-Aryan: Sanskrit मृत (mṛtá, “dead”).^[13]
• Greek: Ancient Greek βροτός (brotós, “mortal”).^[12]
• Armenian: Old Armenian մեռանիմ (meṙanim, “to die”).^[14]
• Italic: Latin morior (“to die”).^[3]
• Celtic: Old Irish marb (“dead”).^[5]
• Germanic: Old English morð (“murder”).^[4]
• Slavic: Old Church Slavonic мрѣти (mrěti, “to die”).^[6]
• Baltic: Lithuanian mir̃ti (“to die”).^[15]
• Albanian: Albanian mërshë (“corpse, carrion”).^[16]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert, p. s.v. *mer-
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wodtko, Dagmar S.; Irslinger, Britta; Schneider, Carolin (2008), Nomina im indogermanischen Lexikon, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. mer-
3. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill, p. s.v. morior
4. ^ a b c d e Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 378
5. ^ a b c Matasović, Ranko (2009), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic, Leiden: Brill, p. 268
6. ^ a b Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 308
7. ^ a b c Kloekhorst, Alwin (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Hittite Inherited Lexicon, Leiden: Brill, p. 577
8. ^ Watkins, Calvert (2000), "Indo-European Roots", appendix to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin, p. s.v. mer-
9. ^ Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert, p. s.v. *merh₂-
10. ^ Pokorny, Julius (1959), Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Bern; Munich: Francke, p. s.v. mer-2
11. ^ Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert, p. s.v. 1.*[s]mer-
12. ^ a b Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill, p. s.v. βροτός
13. ^ Mayrhofer, Manfred (1956–1980), Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 674
14. ^ Martirosyan, Hrach K. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon, Leiden: Brill, p. 477
15. ^ Derksen, Rick (2015), Etymological Dictionary of the Baltic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden: Brill, p. 335
16. ^ Orel, Vladimir (1998), Albanian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden / Boston / Köln: Brill, p. s.v. mërshë