morass English · revision 1384

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /məˈɹæs/, /moˈɹæs/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|nl|moeras|t=marsh, fen]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) an alteration, influenced by ''moer'' “moor”,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) of Middle Dutch ''maras'',^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) [[der|fro|marais|t=marsh]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) which is of Germanic origin,^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) probably Frankish.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) It is related to [[marsh]].^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A wet, swampy tract of land; a bog or marsh (1655).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It replaced earlier English ''mareis'' “marsh”.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) The figurative sense of a confusing or entangling situation is recorded from 1867.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1338 – ''mareis'', marshland.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1655 – a swampy tract.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1867 – figurative, an entanglement.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An area of low, soft, wet ground; a [[marsh]] or [[bog]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A situation that traps, confuses or holds back progress.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[morassy]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[marsh]]

+ * [[marish]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}