*mér-/mr̥-´

Based on the Hittite root verb mer-/mar-^(mi) ‘to disappear’ and the Luwian root mar- ‘id.’, it is possible to reconstruct a Proto-Anatolian root verb of the mi-conjugation *mér-/mr̥-´ ‘to disappear’ (Oettinger 1979a:105, EDHIL:577f.). On the secondary gemination of the -rr- in e.g. Hitt. merrant- ‘vanishing’, see Melchert 1994a:165f.

[D.S.]

The PIE root *mer- means ‘to disappear; to die’ (cf. LIV²:439). The primary meaning ‘to disappear, vanish’ is only attested in Anatolian (e.g., Hitt. mer-/mar-^(mi) ‘to disappear, vanish’), while the secondary meaning ‘to die’ can be found in the other IE languages. According to Kloekhorst (EDHIL:578), this means that “the meaning ‘to die’ […] only developed after the splitting off of Anatolian”. He adds that “[i]t is likely that *mer- ‘to disappear’ was at first an euphemistic term for dying (cf. ModEng. euphemistic to pass away, to be gone vs. to die), which later on took over the place of the original PIE word for ‘to die’, which is possibly reflected in Hitt. āk-ⁱ / akk- ‘to die’ (which is unfortunately unattested in the other IE languages).”

As far as the verbal stems formed to PIE *mer- are concerned, a root aorist PIE *mér-/*mr̥-´ can be reconstructed on the basis of forms such as OHitt. merta pret. ‘disappeared, got lost’, Ved. ámr̥ta aor. midd. ‘died’, and OCS u-mrětŭ aor. ‘died’ (LIV²:439). Furthermore, a PIE present stem *mr̥-i̯é/ó- ‘to die’ underlies Ved. mriyáte, YAv. miriiete, Lat. morior, and OCS u-mĭrjetŭ ‘will die’, according to LIV²:439. Moreover, several nominal stems dating back to PIE are reconstructable – cf., e.g., PIE *mr̥-ti- sbst. ‘death’ (YAV. mǝrǝiti-, Lat. mors, mortis, Lith. mirtìs, etc.), *mr̥-tó- adj./sbst. ‘dead; mortal being’ (Ved. mr̥tá-, YAv. mǝrǝta-, Arm. mard, Gk. βροτός, etc.), *n̥-mr̥-to- adj. ‘immortal’ (Ved. amŕ̥ta-, Av. amǝṣ̌a-, Gk. ἄμβροτος). For further nominal stems based on PIE *mer-, cf. the overview given in NIL:488–491, with discussion and lit.

[T.S.]

Ved. mriyáte pres. midd. ‘dies’ (RV [1.162.21 mriyase] +), mamā́ra perf. ‘has died, is dead’, ámr̥ta aor. midd. ‘died’, māráyati caus. ‘kills’, mr̥tá- adj. ‘dead’ (RV+), amŕ̥ta- adj. ‘immortal’, márta- sbst. m. ‘mortal being, human being’, etc. – YAv. miriiete pres. midd. ‘dies’, OPers. amạriyatā imperf. midd. ‘died’Or amariyatā, formed to a present stem mariya- with full-grade root as opposed to Ved. mriyá-, YAv. miriia- < PIIr. *mr̥-i̯á-, according to Schmitt 2014a:211 s.v. mar., YAv. mǝrǝta- adj. ‘dead’, Av. amǝṣ̌a- adj. ‘immortal’, YAv. mǝrǝiti- sbst. f. ‘death’, OAv. marǝta- sbst. m. ‘mortal being’, etc.Cf., e.g., EWAia II:318f., LIV²:439f., NIL:488–491.

Gk. ἔμoρτεν ‘died’Reshaped from *émorto < PIE *émr̥to aor. midd. (= Ved. ámr̥ta), according to Klingenschmitt 1982a:220.(in ἔμoρτεν· ἀπέϑανεν [Hsch. ε 2399 Latte]), βροτός adj. ‘mortal’, sbst. ‘mortal being, human being’ (Il.+), ἄμβροτος adj. ‘immortal’ (Il.+), etc.Cf., e.g., GEW I:270f. s.v. βροτός, LIV²:439f. with n. 3, EDG:242f. s.v. βροτός, NIL:488–491. 

Arm. meṙani- pres. ‘to die’, meṙ(a)- aor. midd. ‘to die’, mard sbst. ‘human being’Cf., e.g., Klingenschmitt 1982a:220f., LIV²:439f. with n. 4 and 6, NIL:489f. with n. 8 and further lit. 

Lat. morī, morior pres. ‘to die’, mors, gen. sg. mortis sbst. f. ‘death’, mortuus adj. ‘dead’, Ven. murtuvo- adj. ‘dead’, etc.Cf., e.g., LIV²:439, NIL:488–491, EDLIL:389f. s.v. morior, morī with further lit. 

OIr. marb adj. ‘dead’, W marw adj. ‘id.’, etc.Cf., e.g., NIL:489f. with n. 7, EDPC:259 s.v. *marwo- with further lit. 

Goth. maúrþr n. ‘murder’, OE morðor m./n. ‘id.’;< PGerm. *murþra- < pre-PGerm. *mŕ̥-tro-; cf., e.g., Casaretto 2004a:546, NIL:490, EDPG:378 s.v. *murþa-.ON morð n. ‘murder’, OE morð m. ‘id.’, OHG mord n. ‘id.’, etc.< PGerm. *murþa- < pre-PGerm. *mŕ̥-to-; cf., e.g., Casaretto 2004a:546, NIL:489–491 with n. 13, EDPG:378 s.v. *murþa-. 

Lith. mir͂ti ‘to die’, Latv. mìrt ‘id.’;Cf., e.g., ALEW I:660f., EDBIL:321.Lith. mirtìs, sbst. f. ‘death’;Cf., e.g., ALEW I:660f., EDBIL:321.etc.

OCS u-mrětŭ aor. ‘died’; OCS u-mĭrjetŭ ‘will die’, OCS mrěti, mĭrǫ pres. ‘to die’, Russ. mriet’, mru pres. ‘to die (in large numbers)’, etc.;Cf., e.g., LIV²:439f. with n. 5, EDSIL:308.OCS sĭmrĭtŭ sbst. f. ‘death’, Russ. smert’ sbst. f. ‘id.’, etc.Cf., e.g., NIL:489, EDSIL:480f.