Etymology: < Anglo-Norman merilun, meriliun, by aphesis < esmerilun , emeriliun , emerlion (compare Old French esmerillon (c1170; French émerillon ), Old Occitan esmerilhon (late 12th cent.)) < Old French esmeril (although only attested from c1180; compare Old Occitan esmerill (mid 12th cent.)) + -on , diminutive suffix (compare -oon suffix), probably < an unattested Frankish cognate of Middle Dutch smeerle, smerle, smērel (Dutch (archaic) smeerle), Old High German smerle, (Middle High German smerle, smerille, smirle, smirl, German (archaic) Schmerl), Old Icelandic smyrill, Danish (archaic) smergle, smirle; with the suffixed forms in Romance languages compare early modern Dutch smerlijn (Dutch smelleken), Middle High German smerlīn, smirlīn, smirling, smerlichīn (German (archaic) Schmerlein, Schmerlin, Schmerling). Further etymology uncertain: a connection has been suggested with Middle Low German smerle, early modern German smerle (15th cent.; German Schmerle) a kind of small fish, the loach, Cobitis barbatula (compare also the suffixed forms: Middle Dutch smeerlinc, Middle Low German smerlinc, Middle High German smerlinc (German Schmerling)), but the semantic development is difficult to account for.Post-classical Latin mereella (c1180), merulus (a1188), merilo (1209), esmerillunus (1213), emerlio (1275), all in British sources, are probably < Anglo-Norman forms; post-classical Latin smirillus (13th cent.), smerilio (13th cent.), ismerilus (14th cent.), simrilius (in an undated text in Du Cange), in Italian and French sources, are probably < Romance languages; Spanish esmerejón (13th cent. as esmerilón ), Italian smeriglione (14th cent.), Portuguese esmerilhão (15th cent.) are perhaps < Old French esmerillon ; Old Occitan esmirle (13th cent.), Catalan esmirle (1263), Italian smerlo (13th cent.) are perhaps directly < Germanic languages. The complex pattern of borrowings < Germanic languages reflects trade in raptors between northern Europe, where such birds were native, and more southerly regions. A few isolated examples of forms without initial s- are attested in continental sources, e.g. post-classical Latin mirle (a1250 in Albertus Magnus), Catalan mirle (1379), mirla (1393), early modern Dutch merlijn , German †Merle , †Myrle (both 18th cent. in the same source), and perhaps result from confusion with cognates of merle n.¹ (compare merle n.²). An isolated Middle English form emerlion ( < Anglo-Norman emerlion) is attested in some later manuscripts of Chaucer's Parl. Fowls, compare the earliest:a1450 (c1380) G. Chaucer Parl. Fowls (Tanner) (1871) 339 The Emerlion [c1430 Cambr. Gg.4.27 merlioun] that peyneth hym self ful ofte the larke for to seke.

Etymology: < Merlin, the name of a legendary or mythical prophet and enchanter, often associated with King Arthur.The name first appears as post-classical Latin Merlinus (c1140), as that of the author of certain prophecies in Geoffrey of Monmouth, supposedly translated from Welsh: it is generally taken to be a euphemistically modified form of Welsh Myrddin , to avoid association with Anglo-Norman merde merd n. The Welsh form Myrddin is usually explained as arising from a (demonstrably incorrect) folk etymology of the place name Caerfyrddin (Carmarthen) as referring to a personal name. (Although this form appears to be first attested in manuscripts dating from much later than Geoffrey, these are judged on literary and linguistic grounds to preserve material from a considerably earlier period.)

Etymology: < Welsh merlyn, merliwn (1742), of uncertain origin; the form may perhaps show the influence of merliwn merlin n.¹ N.E.D. (1906) s.v. recorded a folk etymology < the name of Merlin , a celebrated racehorse; compare quot. 1997.