Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/marǭ

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed words and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Germanic

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *mor- (“malicious female spirit”), from Proto-Indo-European *mor-, *mer- (“to die”). Cognate with Serbo-Croatian мо̏ра (“nightmare”), Old Irish Morrígan (“phantom queen”).

Noun

*marǭ f

evil (female) spirit; succubus; incubus
nightmare

Inflection

ōn-stemDeclension of *marǭ (ōn-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*marǭ	*marōniz
vocative	*marǭ	*marōniz
accusative	*marōnų	*marōnunz
genitive	*marōniz	*marōnǫ̂
dative	*marōni	*marōmaz
instrumental	*marōnē	*marōmiz

Descendants

Old English: mare; *niehtemare, *nihtemare
- Middle English: mare; niȝtmare, nightemare
  - Scots: mare, mair; nichtmare, nichtmeer
  - English: mare; nightmare
Old Saxon: *mara
- Middle Low German: māre, mar m; nachtmār
Old Dutch: *mara
- Middle Dutch: māre; nachtmaere, nachtmērië, nachtmēre
  - Dutch: mare, maar; nachtmare, nachtmerrie
  - → Old French: cauquemare (specifically the second element 'mare')
    - Middle French: cauchemare
      - French: cauchemar
Old High German: mara
- Middle High German: mare, mar
  - German: Mahr; Nachtmahr
Old Norse: mara
- Icelandic: mara
- Norwegian: mara, mare
- Westrobothnian: mǫru
- Old Swedish: mara
  - Swedish: mara
- Danish: mare