Mire
/maɪər/noun
A stretch of swampy or boggy ground.
Did you know?In Old English, 'mire' was associated with treacherous bogs that could swallow whole animals, reflecting ancient fears of the earth itself as a trap.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mei-
“To change, to go, to sink.”
Old English
Old English
mire
“A bog or swamp, a place where one gets stuck.”
Middle English
Middle English
mire
“Wet, swampy ground, often treacherous.”
Modern English
English
mire
“A muddy or swampy area, symbolizing entrapment.”