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Merle

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: merle

English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology 1

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From French Merle.

Proper noun

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Merle

  1. A surname from French of French origin.
  2. A male given name transferred from the surname.
    • 1968 May 3, Al Aronowitz, “New Country Twang Hits Town”, in Life Magazine, page 12:
      Merle Haggard is a name out of a morality play. And that's the kind of songs he sings.

Etymology 2

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English 19th-century bird name from merle (blackbird), possibly also a variant of Muriel, Merrill, etc.

Proper noun

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Merle

  1. A female given name from English.
    • 1887, Emily Frances Adeline Sergeant, Jacob's Wife, page 92:
      Her name was Merle, and to her name she always said she owed the fact that Gilbert Vanborough ever looked at her.
    • 1976, From These Hills, From These Valleys: Pennsylvania Writers' Collection, University of Pittsburgh Press, →ISBN, page 186:
      "I wish I had a name like Merle Oberon or Miriam Hopkins," Mary Agnes said dreamily as she scanned the display of Coming Attractions.

Anagrams

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Estonian

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Etymology

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Modern coinage, possibly from English Merle, associated with similar sounding names like Merili (Muriel) or Merilin (Marilyn).

Proper noun

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Merle

  1. a female given name

French

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Etymology

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Originally a nickname or an occupational name from merle (blackbird).

Pronunciation

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  • Audio:(file)

Proper noun

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Merle ?

  1. a surname

Anagrams

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German

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈmɛrlə/, [ˈmɛʁ.lə], [ˈmɛɐ̯.lə]

Etymology 1

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From Middle High German merle, from Old High German merla, from Proto-West Germanic *merlā (blackbird). Doublet of Amsel (blackbird).

Noun

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Merle f (genitive Merle, plural Merlen)

  1. (now chiefly dialectal) blackbird
    Synonyms: Amsel, Schwarzdrossel
    • 1844, Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, “Die Nadel im Baume”, in Gedichte, Stuttgart, page 221:
      Eine schlanke schmächtige Erle,
      Da saßen wir oft in wachendem Traum
      Und horchten dem Schlage der Merle;
      Die hatte ihr struppiges Nest gebaut
      Grad in der schwankenden Krone[.]
      A slim and slender alder,
      There we often sat in waking dream
      And listened to the blackbird’s cry;
      She had built her scrubby nest
      Right in the swaying top[.]
Declension
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Etymology 2

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Borrowed from English Merle with a spelling pronunciation (likely reinforced by etymology 1 above).

Proper noun

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Merle f (proper noun, genitive Merles or (with an article) Merle)

  1. a female given name of modern usage