mermaid

Meaning

1. A mythological creature with a woman's head and upper body, and a tail of a fish.
2. Coloured a brilliant turquoise.
3. (obsolete) A prostitute.

Synonyms

siren

merman

🧜‍♂️

water nymph

water-nymph

sea nymph

undine

nixie

nymph

pixy

sylph

vixen

Nereid

alarm

merfolk

brownie

fairy

🧚

fay

naiad

nix

Translations

sirène

🧜‍♀️

sirena

Meerjungfrau

🧜‍♀️

sirena

Nixe

zeemeermin

🧜‍♀️

Seejungfrau

sereia

🧜‍♀️

Wassernixe

denizkızı

γοργόνα

sirene

meermin

🧜‍♀️

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈmɜːˌmeɪd/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: mermayde

Cognate with Dutch: meermeid

Cognate with Middle High German: mermaget

Cognate with German: Meermagd

Cognate with Old English: meremenn

In summary

From Middle English mermayde (“maid of the sea”), from mere (“sea, lake”) + maid, equivalent to mer- + maid. Cognate with Dutch meermeid (“mermaid”), Middle High German mermaget, mermeit (“mermaid”, > German Meermagd, Meermädchen (“mermaid”)). Compare Old English meremenn, meremennen, meremenin (“mermaid, siren”).