Merger
/ˈmɜːr.dʒər/noun
A combination of two or more companies, organizations, or entities into one.
Did you know?Merger comes from the same ancient root as *immerse* and *submerge*—the original image was not business strategy, but one thing being plunged into and lost within another.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mer-
“to dip, plunge, or immerse”
Latin
Latin
mergere
“to dip, sink, plunge”
Late Latin
Latin
mergēre
“to sink or overwhelm”
Old French
Old French
merger
“to sink, drown, or be swallowed up”
Middle English
English
mergen
“to sink or submerge”
Modern English
English
merger
“a combination of two or more entities into one”