Ancient Greek edit

Etymology edit

According to Beekes, we have to start from a noun, perhaps *μεῖρος (*meîros), which would agree with Sanskrit मर्य (marya, young man, suitor, lover) and Avestan 𐬨𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀 (mairiia, yeoman). A feminine *μεῖρα (*meîra) may be also considered. As a remote cognate, Lithuanian mergà (girl) has been adduced and, with different vocalism, Lithuanian martì (daughter-in-law); also, the unclear Latin marītus (married). Nowadays, Celtic words are also connected, like Welsh morwyn (maiden, virgin) and Cornish moren (maiden). The connection with Albanian shemër (second wife) is hardly convincing. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *méryos (boy, girl).

Pronunciation edit

 

Noun edit

μεῖρᾰξ (meîraxf or m (genitive μείρᾰκος); third declension

  1. young girl, lass
  2. (in later writers) boy, lad

Declension edit

Derived terms edit

Further reading edit