Mercian

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Relating to Mercia, an ancient kingdom in central England during the early medieval period ; pertaining to the people, culture, or language associated with that historical kingdom ; describing artifacts, history, or geography linked to this region in early English history
2. Connected to the historic Mercian kingdom located in the central part of England; referring to the inhabitants or their customs in that era; characterizing aspects of Mercian language, governance, or society from the Anglo-Saxon period
3. Associated with Mercia, noted as one of the prominent Old English kingdoms; denoting the ethnic or cultural identity of its population in medieval times; relating to the linguistic features or historical documents tied to this early English region

Etymology: The name goes back to the Old English "Mierċe", the people who gave their name to Mercia, one of the great Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of the English Midlands. Its name is usually taken to mean "border people" or "people of the boundaries", a reference to their position on the frontiers of other English peoples, though the exact sense of the root is debated. The Latin-speaking clerks who wrote about these Anglo-Saxons turned the name into "Mercius", and the English adjective was then formed by adding the suffix "-an", the same ending found in "American" or "Roman". So "Mercian" is a Latinized form of the Old English name, with a suffix attached, rather than a word that grew out of ordinary speech. It was used first for the people and then for anything belonging to their kingdom, which is why it can describe the language, laws and customs of the period as well as the people themselves.

Synonyms: Anglian