muryan
/ˈmʌrɪən/ /ˈmʌrjən/English regional (Cornwall )
noun
An ant. Also (in Cornish mythology): a type of fairy.
- Occasionally used as a term of endearment..
Origin
Mid 19th century; earliest use found in Robert Hunt (1807–1887), chemist and photographer. From Cornish muryon (collective) ants, cognate with Breton merien, collective, Welsh myrion, collective (singulative myrionen, secondary singular form (after plurals in -ion) mŷr ant).