Etymology

meretrix

M3E1R1E1T1R1I1X8

Today it means: A prostitute in Ancient Rome. Full definition →

Latin meretrīx ← Proto-Italic *merēō ← Proto-Indo-European *(s)mr̥-éh₁-yeti
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*(s)mer-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*(s)mr̥-éh₁-yeti
  3. Proto-Italic*merējō
  4. Proto-Italic*merēō
  5. Latinmereō, meritum
  6. Latinmeretrīx
  7. English todaymeretrix

Borrowed from Latin meretrīx.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.