Mear
/mɪər/noun
A boundary, limit, or boundary marker, chiefly in dialectal, archaic, and Scottish English.
Did you know?Mear is related to the ancient Germanic idea of marking territory, linking it linguistically to words such as “mark” and “march,” both rooted in borders and boundaries.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*merǵ-
“A boundary, border, or dividing limit”
Proto-Germanic
Germanic
*ga-mairją
“A shared boundary or territorial limit”
Old English
Old English
gemǣre
“A boundary, border, or defined limit”
Middle English
Middle English
mere
“A boundary, boundary line, or boundary marker”
15th–16th Century
English
mear
“A boundary or territorial limit, especially in regional usage”
Modern English
English
mear
“An archaic or dialectal boundary, limit, or marker”