different between mereswine vs mermaid

English

Alternative forms

• mereswyne, merswine (Scotland)

Etymology

From Middle English mereswin (“porpoise, dolphin”), from Old English meresw?n (“porpoise, dolphin”), from Proto-West Germanic *marisw?n, from Proto-Germanic *marisw?n? (“dolphin, porpoise, cetacean”); synchronically analyzable as mere +? swine.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?m??(?)?swa?n/

Noun

mereswine (plural mereswines or mereswine)

1. (rare, poetic, archaic) A porpoise or dolphin.

English

Etymology

From Middle English mermayde (“maid of the sea”), from mere (“sea, lake”) + maid, equivalent to mer- +? maid. Compare Old English meremenn, meremennen, meremenin (“mermaid, siren”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?m??.me?d/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?m?.me?d/

Noun

mermaid (plural mermaids)

1. A mythological creature with a woman's head and upper body, and a tail of a fish.

   Synonyms: mergirl, merlady, mermaiden, merwoman

   Coordinate terms: melusine, nixie, siren

   Hypernym: merperson

   Hyponyms: mermother, merqueen

   Holonym: merfolk

2. (as a modifier) Coloured a brilliant turquoise.

3. (obsolete) A prostitute.

   Synonyms: hooker, lady of the night; see also Thesaurus:prostitute

Derived terms

• mermaid's purse
• mermaid skirt

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• mermaid on Wikipedia.Wikipedia