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Origin and history of marrow

marrow(n.)

"soft tissue found in the interior of bones," late 14c., from Old English mearg "marrow," earlier mærh, from Proto-Germanic *mazga-, reconstructed to be from PIE *mozgo- "marrow" (source also of Sanskrit majjan-, Avestan mazga- "marrow," Old Church Slavonic mozgu, Lithuanian smagenės "brain"). Germanic cognates include Old Norse mergr, Old Saxon marg, Old Frisian merg, Middle Dutch march, Dutch merg, Old High German marg, German Mark "marrow."

The figurative sense of "inmost or central part, inner substance, essence" is attested from mid-14c.

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to marrow

marrowbone(n.)

late 14c., marybones (late 13c. as a surname), "bone containing fat or marrow," from marrow + bone (n.). A poetic Old English word for "bone" was mearhcofa "marrow-chamber." Later generally of any large bone. The conjecture that it is a corruption of Mary-bones, in allusion to the reverence paid to the Virgin Mary by kneeling "is absurd" [Century Dictionary]; nonetheless, marrowbones is used especially to mean "the bones of the knees" (1530s). To ride in the marrow-bone coach was one of many terms in old slang for "to go on foot."

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    kernel
    "edible substance in a nut or the stone of a fruit," Old English cyrnel "seed, kernel, pip," from Proto-Germanic *kurnilo- (source also of Middle High German kornel "a grain," Middle Dutch cornel "coarse meal"), from the root of corn "seed, grain" (from PIE root *gre-no- "grain")
    substance
    c. 1300, substaunce, "divine part or essence" common to the persons of the Trinity;" mid-14c. in philosophy and theology, "that which exists by itself; essential nature; type or kind of thing; real or essential part;" from Old French sustance, substance "goods, possessions; natur
    core
    early 14c., "heart or inmost part of anything" (especially an apple, pear, etc.), of uncertain origin, probably from Old French cor, coeur "core of fruit, heart of lettuce," literally "heart," from Latin cor "heart," from PIE root *kerd- "heart." Meaning "a central portion cut an
    mast
    moist, wet," also used of various qualities of food (source also of Sanskrit madati "it bubbles, gladdens," medah "fat, marrow...
    ossifrage
    World vulture that swallows and digests bones and was believed also to drop them from aloft to break them and get at the marrow...
    poliomyelitis
    coined by German physician Adolph Kussmaul (1822-1902) from Greek polios "grey" (from PIE root *pel- (1) "pale") + myelos "marrow...
    bones
    Formerly also "pieces of bone or ivory struck or rattled to accompany music" (1590s; compare marrow-bones and cleavers under...
    essence
    late 14c., essencia (respelled late 15c. on French model), from Latin essentia "being, essence," abstract noun formed (to translate Greek ousia "being, essence") from essent-, present participle stem of esse "to be," from PIE root *es- "to be." Originally "substance of the Trinit
    sum
    c. 1300, somme, summe, "a quantity or amount of money," from Anglo-French and Old French summe, somme "amount, total; collection; essential point; summing up, conclusion" (13c., Modern French somme), from Latin summa "the top, summit; chief place, highest rank; main thing, chief
    quintessence
    early 15c., quint-essence, in ancient philosophy and medieval alchemy, "a pure essence latent in all things, and the substance of which the heavenly bodies are composed," literally "fifth essence," from Old French quinte essence (14c.) and directly from Medieval Latin quinta esse

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