Meriam

See also: meriam

English

Etymology

From Mer (“Murray Island”), off the northern coast of Australia.

Noun

Meriam (plural Meriams or Meriam)

1. A member of an Aboriginal people who live on Mer (Murray Island), in the eastern group of Torres Strait Islands off the northern tip of Australia.
   • 2021, Otto English, Fake History, page 99:

     The Meriams believed in "Bomai", a shape-shifting sea spirit, who had come to them as an octopus and united the eight island tribes under his watchful eyes.

Proper noun

Meriam

1. The Trans-Fly Papuan language of the Meriam people; Meryam Mir.

Further reading

• Ethnologue entry for Meriam, ulk ⁠

Anagrams

• maimer

Malay

Etymology

From Arabic مَرْيَم (maryam). Doublet of Maryam, Mariam, and Maria.

Proper noun

Meriam

1. a female given name from Arabic: Mary, Miriam

   Synonyms: Maryam, Mariam, Maria

References

• Wilkinson, Richard James (1932) “Mĕriam”, in A Malay-English dictionary (romanised), volume II, Mytilene, Greece: Salavopoulos & Kinderlis, page 135