mammer

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*mer-
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*maimrōną“to take care, worry”
3. Old English · inherited frommāmrian
4. Middle English · inherited frommameren“to hesitate, be undecided, waver, mutter”
5. English todaymammer

From Middle English mameren (“to hesitate, be undecided, waver, mutter”), from Old English māmrian, māmorian (“to think through, deliberate, plan out, design”), from Proto-Germanic *maimrōną (“to take care, worry”), from Proto-Indo-European *mer-, *smer- (“to fall into thought, remember, take care”). Related to Old English māmor (“deep thought, deep sleep, unconsciousness”), Old English mimorian (“to remember”), Dutch mijmeren (“to ponder, muse”). More at remember.

Words from the same roots