Merv
/mɜːrv/noun
An ancient oasis city in present-day Turkmenistan and a major historical center of Central Asia.
Did you know?At its height, Merv was a major intellectual center where scholars, astronomers, and physicians worked along the Silk Road, but the city was devastated during the Mongol invasions of the 13th century.
Etymological Timeline
1st millennium BCE
Old Iranian
Margu
“The ancient Iranian name for the region and oasis associated with Merv.”
Achaemenid period
Old Persian
Marguš
“A province or land corresponding to the Merv oasis, recorded in Persian imperial inscriptions.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Margiana
“The Greek geographical name for the region around the Merv oasis.”
Sasanian period
Middle Persian
Mahr
“A Middle Iranian form associated with the city and its surrounding region.”
Medieval Arabic and Persian
Arabic/Persian
Marw
“The established medieval name of the city, a major urban and scholarly center of Khorasan.”
Modern English
English
Merv
“The conventional English name for the archaeological site and former Central Asian city.”
Explore more surprising origins