Marten Definition
Archaic form of martin (the bird)
- marten cat
Other Word Forms of Marten
Noun
Origin of Marten
-
Middle English martren, martryn, from Anglo-Norman martrine 'marten fur', from Old Low Franconian *marþrin 'of marten fur' (cf. Middle Dutch martren), from *marþra 'marten' (compare Dutch marter), from Proto-Germanic *marþuz (compare Low German Mort, West Frisian murd 'polecat', Old English mearþ 'shrew'), originally 'wedding' (cf. Crimean Gothic marzus 'wedding'), from Proto-Indo-European *martus 'bride'. More at marry. For sense development, compare Italian donnola 'weasel', from donna 'lady', Greek nyfítsa 'weasel', from nymfÄ“ 'bride'.
From Wiktionary
Middle English martrin, marten from Old French martrine (from) (feminine of martrin pertaining to the marten) (from martre marten) and from Medieval Latin martrīna both of Germanic origin
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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