merus

Meaning

sheer, undiluted, pure (especially of wine)

Concepts

unadulterated

Translations

unverdünnt

pur

pure

onverdund

onverdunde

proper

puur

zuivere

gaaf

no adulterado

su katılmamış

Pronounced as (IPA)

[ˈmɛ.rʊs]

Etymology

Traditionally derived from a Proto-Indo-European *mer- (“to sparkle, glimmer, gleam”), and compared with Ancient Greek μαρμαίρω (marmaírō, “to flash, sparkle”), Sanskrit मरीचि (marīci, “beam, ray”), Old Irish emer, and Proto-Germanic *mērijaz (“famous”). However, De Vaan expresses skepticism at the semantic shift from "shine" → "pure", and prefers Puhvel's derivation from Proto-Indo-European *merH-o-s, from a Proto-Indo-European *merH- (“to remain, be distilled and pure”), whence Hittite [script needed] (marri, “just so, gratuitously”).
Old English āmerian (“to purify”) is a borrowing from the Latin, according to Kroonen.