mereswin

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *mariswīn. Equivalent to mere (“sea”) +‎ swīn (“pig”). Cognate with Old Saxon meriswīn.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈme.reˌswiːn/

Noun

mereswīn n

1. dolphin or porpoise
   • late 9th century, translation of Bede's Ecclesiastical History

     Swylċe ēac þēos eorþe is berende missenlīcra fugela ⁊ sǣwihta ⁊ hēr bēoþ oft fanġene seolas ⁊ hronas and mereswȳn; ⁊ hēr bēoþ oft numene missenlīcra cynna weolcsċylle ⁊ muscule, ⁊ on þām oft ġemette þā betstan meregrotan ǣlces hīwes.

     This land also bears various birds and sea creatures, and seals, porpoises, and dolphins are often caught here; and various kinds of mussels and shellfish are often taken, and in them the best pearls of every color are often found.

   Mereswīn bēoþ swīðe plegol nīetenu.

   Dolphins are very playful animals.

Declension

Strong a-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	mereswīn	mereswīn
accusative	mereswīn	mereswīn
genitive	mereswīnes	mereswīna
dative	mereswīne	mereswīnum

Descendants

• Middle English: mereswyn, mereswyne, mersuine
  • English: mereswine
  • Scots: mereswine