merel (Dutch)

Where does "merel" come from?

The Dutch word "merel," meaning blackbird, derives from the Latin term "merula," which eventually evolved into the Vulgar Latin "merla." This name passed through Proto-West Germanic as "*merlā" before settling into Old Dutch as "*merla" and later Middle Dutch. It shares a deep linguistic lineage with other European bird names, ultimately tracing back to a root associated with the color black.

Full etymology tree

• merel (Dutch), 'blackbird (Turdus merula)'
  • inherited merle (Middle Dutch)
    • inherited *merla (Old Dutch), 'blackbird'
      • inherited *merlā (Proto-West Germanic), 'blackbird'
        • borrowed *merla (Vulgar Latin)
          • inherited merula (Latin), 'blackbird'
            • inherited *meselā (Proto-Italic)
              • inherited *h₂ems- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to give birth, beget'

Ancestors

• *merla (Old Dutch)
• merula (Latin)

Cognates and doublets

• Merle (German)
• Märel (Luxembourgish)

Descendants and derived words

• goudmerel (Dutch)
• Merel (Dutch)

Updated June 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris