*merkuz
Runic: ᛗᛖᚱᚲᚢᛉ Pronunciation: /ˈmer.kuz/adjective · u-stem
Meanings
dark
Etymology
From earlier *merkwuz, from Proto-Indo-European *(h₂)mer(H)gʷ- (‘dark’), cognate to Proto-Slavic *mergъ (‘brown’). Orr summarizes arguments for borrowing from common Slavic into common Germanic. In any case, related to Proto-Slavic *morkъ (‘darkness’).
Declension
Strong declension
| Case | Sg. Masc. | Sg. Fem. | Sg. Neut. | Pl. Masc. | Pl. Fem. | Pl. Neut. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. | merkuz | mirkwī | merkų, -ijatō | mirkwijai | mirkwijôz | mirkwijō |
| Acc. | mirkwijanǭ | mirkwijǭ | merkų, -ijatō | mirkwijanz | mirkwijōz | mirkwijō |
| Gen. | mirkwijas, -īs | mirkwijaizōz | mirkwijas, -īs | mirkwijaizǫ̂ | mirkwijaizǫ̂ | mirkwijaizǫ̂ |
| Dat. | mirkwijammai | mirkwijaizōi | mirkwijammai | mirkwijaimaz | mirkwijaimaz | mirkwijaimaz |
| Inst. | mirkwijanō | mirkwijaizō | mirkwijanō | mirkwijaimiz | mirkwijaimiz | mirkwijaimiz |
Weak declension
| Case | Sg. Masc. | Sg. Fem. | Sg. Neut. | Pl. Masc. | Pl. Fem. | Pl. Neut. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. | mirkwijô | mirkwijǭ | mirkwijô | mirkwijaniz | mirkwijōniz | mirkwijōnō |
| Acc. | mirkwijanų | mirkwijōnų | mirkwijô | mirkwijanunz | mirkwijōnunz | mirkwijōnō |
| Gen. | mirkwīniz | mirkwijōniz | mirkwīniz | mirkwijanǫ̂ | mirkwijōnǫ̂ | mirkwijanǫ̂ |
| Dat. | mirkwīni | mirkwijōni | mirkwīni | mirkwijammaz | mirkwijōmaz | mirkwijammaz |
| Inst. | mirkwīnē | mirkwijōnē | mirkwīnē | mirkwijammiz | mirkwijōmiz | mirkwijammiz |
Descendants
-
*mirkwī (Proto-West Germanic)
- mirki (Old Saxon)
-
*mirkwī (Proto-West Germanic)
-
mirce, mierce (Old English)
-
mirke, merke (Middle English)
- mirk, murk (English)
- mirk, merk, mark (Scots)
-
mirke, merke (Middle English)
-
mirce, mierce (Old English)
-
myrkr (Old Norse)
- mørk (Danish)
- myrkur (Faroese)
- myrkur (Icelandic)
- mørk (Norwegian Bokmål)
- myrk, mørk (Norwegian Nynorsk)
- mörk (Swedish)
- *mürkkü (Proto-Finnic)