Merlin

See also: merlin and Merlín

English

Etymology

From Middle English Merlyn, from Medieval Latin Merlinus and Old French Merlin, from Proto-Brythonic *Mor-ðin (literally “sea-hill”), from Proto-Celtic *mori (“sea”) + *dūnom (“stronghold, rampart”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈmɝlɪn/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈmɜːlɪn/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)lɪn

Proper noun

Merlin (plural Merlins)

1. A wizard in the Arthurian legend.
   • 1803 December, an Architect, “The Pursuits of Architectural Innovation. No. LXVI. Salisbury Cathedral continued.”, in The Gentleman’s Magazine, London: […] Nichols and Son, […], page 1122, column 1:

     I NEXT paſſed into the choir; a ſcene of transformation indeed! I had been accuſtomed to contemplate here a far different order of things. Our profeſſional Merlins have waved their wands to ſome purpoſe; and all view, as their familiars invited me to believe, was to be given up to the momentary glance at an Eidophuſicon ſhew of the Reſurrection filling the Eaſt window in that ſpot late our Lady’s chapel, now the termination of the choir.

   • 1978 December 29, Thomas Boswell, “Carr Discovers Mysteries of NBA”, in International Herald Tribune, number 29,827, Paris, published 5 January 1979, page 11, column 4:

     It is a game of chemistry and confidence, where players of gold often make teams of lead, and vice versa. Coaches are like Merlins madly mixing metals, searching for “the right combination,” even if it contradicts common sense.

   • 2007, Clyde Freeman Herreid, “Teaching in the Year 2061”, in Clyde Freeman Herreid, editor, Start with a Story: The Case Study Method of Teaching College Science, Arlington, Va.: NSTA Press, →ISBN, section XX (The Future of Case Teaching), page 429:

     Music, art, entertainment, medicine, and science are being changed before our very eyes by technological Merlins waving silicon wands.

2. A male given name.
3. A census-designated place in Josephine County, Oregon, United States.

Derived terms

• Merlinic

Translations

Wizard in Arthurian legend

• Arabic: مرلين m
• Armenian: Մեռլին (Meṙlin)
• Breton: Merzhin m, Myrdhin
• Catalan: Merlí m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 梅林 (zh) (Méilín), 魔灵 (Mólíng), 密林 (zh) (Mìlín), 默林 (Mòlín), 墨林 (zh) (Mòlín), 穆林 (Mùlín)

• Cornish: Marzhin
• Dutch: Merlijn (nl) m
• Finnish: Merlin (fi)
• French: Merlin (fr) m

  Old French: Merlin m

• German: Merlin (de) m
• Greek: Μέρλιν (el) m (Mérlin), Μέρλιν ο Μάγος m (Mérlin o Mágos)
• Hebrew: מרלין m
• Italian: Merlino m, mago Merlino m
• Japanese: マーリン (Mārin)
• Korean: 멀린 (Meollin)
• Latin: Merlinus m
• Persian: مرلین
• Polish: Merlin (pl) m
• Portuguese: Merlin m, Merlim m
• Romanian: Merlin m
• Russian: Ме́рлин (ru) m (Mérlin)
• Spanish: Merlín m
• Thai: เมอร์ลิน
• Ukrainian: Мерлін n (Merlin)
• Vietnamese: Merlin
• Welsh: Myrddin m
• Western Panjabi: مرلن

Further reading

• “Merlin”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• “Merlin”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “Merlin”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, →ISBN.
• “Merlin”, in Collins English Dictionary.
• “Merlin” (US) / “Merlin” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary.

Anagrams

• Milner, limner

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• Merlim

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English Merlin.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /meʁˈlĩ/ [meɦˈlĩ]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /meʁˈlĩ/ [meɦˈlĩ]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /meɾˈlĩ/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /meʁˈlĩ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /meɻˈlĩ/

Proper noun

Merlin m

1. (Arthurian legend) Merlin (wizard who helped Arthur)

Welsh

Proper noun

Merlin

1. Nasal mutation of Berlin.

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
Berlin	Ferlin	Merlin	unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.