merwife

English

Etymology

From Old English merewīf (“water witch, mermaid”), from Proto-West Germanic *mariwīb, from Proto-Germanic *mariwībą (“mermaid, siren”). By surface analysis, mer- +‎ wife. Cognate with Old High German meriwīb.

Noun

merwife (plural merwives)

  1. A mermaid.
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