mer

Meaning

1. sea (large body of water)
2. the ocean (the continuous body of salt water covering a majority of the Earth's surface)

Gender

♀️ Feminine

Pronounced as (IPA)

/mɛʁ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French mer, from Old French mer, from Latin mare, from Proto-Italic *mari, from Proto-Indo-European *móri.
The word is almost unparalleled as a Latin neuter that has become feminine without being a backformation from a plural in -a (French -e). This has been ascribed to the influence of terre (“land”). In most other Romance languages it is a masculine, the main exception being Romanian mare f.

Sentences

Le monastère , situé au bord de la mer , offre une vue remarquable .

The monastery, located by the sea, offers a remarkable view.

La mer de Petchora est recouverte par la banquise de novembre à juin .

The Pechora Sea is covered by sea ice from November to June.

Elle sépare l'Amstelmeer de la mer des Wadden, une écluse permettant la navigation .

It separates the Amstelmeer from the Wadden Sea, a lock for navigation.

L'érosion de la chaîne cadomienne remplit de sables et d'argiles la mer briovérienne.

The erosion of the Cadomian range fills the Brioverian Sea with sands and clays.