Etymology: < Anglo-Norman merit (also rarely in Middle French, 14th–early 15th cent., and common in Old Occitan) and Anglo-Norman and Old French merite reward, moral worth (12th cent.; French mérite ; also in Anglo-Norman in form meriste ), and their etymon classical Latin meritum due reward, worthiness to receive good or bad treatment, action worthy to receive such treatment, use as noun of neuter of meritus , past participle of merēre , merērī to obtain for one's share, earn as pay, deserve, probably cognate with ancient Greek μείρεσθαι to receive a share (see mero- comb. form¹).In post-classical Latin the word is frequent in the plural, merita ; this gives rise to the singular form merite in Old French, which is normally feminine in Old French and Middle French, although masculine in modern French. With sense 6 (Law) compare post-classical Latin merita causae (1549 in a Sc. source).

Etymology: < Middle French meriter to reward (14th cent.), to deserve (15th cent.; French mériter ) < merite merit n. Compare Italian meritare (13th cent.; a1294 as mertare ), Spanish meritar (1550–75, probably < French). Compare also classical Latin meritāre to earn habitually, to serve as a soldier < merēre + -itāre (see -itate suffix).Middle French meriter replaces earlier Old French, Middle French merir (12th cent.; compare Anglo-Norman merir ) < classical Latin merēre to earn (see merit n.).