moor

moor · noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*móri
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*mōraz
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*mōr
4. Old English · inherited frommōr
5. Middle English · inherited frommor
6. English todaymoor

From Middle English mor, from Old English mōr, from Proto-West Germanic *mōr, from Proto-Germanic *mōraz, from Proto-Indo-European *móri. Cognates include Welsh môr, Old Irish muir (from Proto-Celtic *mori); Scots muir, Dutch moer, Old Saxon mōr, Old Saxon mūr, German Moor and perhaps also Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹 (marei). See mere.

moor · verb²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*mēyt-
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*mairōn“to moor, fasten to”
3. Old English · inherited from*mārian
4. Middle English · inherited frommoren
5. English todaymoor

From Middle English moren, from unattested Old English *mārian, from Proto-West Germanic *mairōn (“to moor, fasten to”), related to *maida- (“post”), from Proto-Indo-European *mēyt-, *meyt-, from *mēy-, *mey- (“stake, pole”). Cognate with Dutch meren (“to moor”), marren (“to bind”).

Moor · noun³

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromΜαυρούσιος“Mauretanian”
2. Latin · derived fromMaurus“a Moor, meaning a Mauretanian, an inhabitant of Mauretania”
3. Old French · derived fromMore
4. Middle English · inherited fromMore
5. English todayMoor

From Middle English More, Moore, from Old French More (modern French Maure), from Latin Maurus (“a Moor, meaning a Mauretanian, an inhabitant of Mauretania”), from Ancient Greek Μαυρούσιος (Mauroúsios, “Mauretanian”). Doublet of Moro.

Words from the same roots