37.1800, Qs: German (and Yiddish) Merlblümchen and Merlaub

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-37-1800. Mon May 18 2026. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 37.1800, Qs: German (and Yiddish) Merlblümchen and Merlaub

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Date: 17-May-2026
From: Alexis Manaster Ramer [manasterramer at gmail.com]
Subject: German (and Yiddish) Merlblümchen and Merlaub


Having received incredibly helpful answers to my last two queries on
here, I wonder if anyone would know about medieval German plant names.
Merlblümchen (Merl probably as the diminutive of Marie) is attested
(once only as far as anybody knows).  However Merlaub is attested as a
medieval Jewish woman's first name and much later as a Jewish surname.
There are names ending in -laub, and it occurred to me that *merlaub
(Middle High German -loup) could well have existed, but I can find no
relevant information. Presumably a pretty flowering plant possibly
sweet-smelling too.

Linguistic Field(s): Historical Linguistics
                     Lexicography

Subject Language(s): German (deu)
                     Yiddish (yid)

Language Family(ies): Indo-European



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