mar, mari & mer
These ROOT-WORDS are MAR, MARI, & MER meaning SEA & POOL. It comes from the Latin mare which means SEA. The SEA was of the greatest importance to the Romans. Mare Liberum, the open sea: Mare Clausum, the closed Sea: and Mare Nostrum, our sea which is now called the Mediterranean Sea. All the words on this list have a musical sound, from MERmaid to MARina. “The Ancient Mariner” sounds much more musical than “The Old Sailor” which means the same thing.
1. Mere : MERE (meer) n.
Lake; pool
2. Mermaid : MER maid (mer’ made) n.
Fabled marine creature, half fish, half woman
3. Merman : MER man (mer’ man) n.
The male of the marine creatures
4. Marine : MAR ine (ma rene’) adj.
Relating to the sea
5. Marine : MaR ine (ma rene’) n.
A sailor, serving on shipboard
6. Maritime : MAR itime (mar’ i time) adj.
Relating to commerce and navigation
7. Mariner : MAR iner (mar’ i ner) n.
A sailor; as, in a poem by Coleridge, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”
8. Mare liberum : MAR e liberum (mar’ e lib’ er um)
The open sea; open to all nations
9. Marinist : MAR inist (ma rene’ ist) n.
One interested in relation between land and sea
10. Marinorama : MAR inorama (mar i no ra’ ma) n.
A panoramic presentation of a view of the sea11. Marsh : MAR sh (marsh) n.
Wet land; swamp; morass
12. Marshy : MAR shy (mar’ shee) adj.
Swampy
13. Mare nostrum : MAR e nostrum (mar’ e nos’ trum) n.
Latin “Our Sea” The name which the Romans gave to the Mediterranean Ses
14. Marfire : MAR fire (mar’ five) n.
The phosphorescence on the sea
15. Marina : MAR ina (ma ree’ na) n.
A dock for mooring and refitting boats of various types
16. Margaret : MAR garet (mar’ ga ret) n.
A female name meaning a pearl
17. Marginella : MAR ginella (mar ji net’ a) n.
Sea-snails
18. Marigenous : MAR igneous (ma rij’ ee nus) adj.
Produced in or by the sea
Go to the Etymology Index Page.
