Etymology: Partly < Anglo-Norman and Middle French mort death (881 in Old French; French mort ; < classical Latin mort- , mors death: see below), and partly < Anglo-Norman and Middle French mort (feminine morte ) dead (late 10th cent. in Old French; French mort ; < classical Latin mortuus dead: see below). With Anglo-Norman and Middle French mort (noun) compare Spanish muerte (late 10th cent.), Catalan (1047), Old Occitan mort (mid 11th cent.), Portuguese morte (12th cent.), Italian morte (12th–13th cent.). With Anglo-Norman and Middle French mort (adjective) compare Spanish muerto (late 10th cent.), Old Occitan mort (mid 11th cent.), Portuguese morto (early 12th cent.), Catalan mort (1210), Italian morto (13th cent.). Compare earlier morth n.Classical Latin mors and mortuus are both ultimately < the same Indo-European base as morth n. and (with different suffix) murder n.¹: see discussion at that entry. In sense 3 by confusion with mot n.¹ (compare quots. 1555 at sense 3a, c1560 at sense 3a). With sense 4 compare earlier morkin n.¹ Apparently attested earlier as a surname, compare Robertus Mort (1199), though it is unclear whether this is to be interpreted as Middle English or Anglo-Norman.

Etymology: Origin uncertain; perhaps shortened < mortar n.¹ (although this is first attested slightly later in this specific sense; compare sense 2 s.v.).

Etymology: Origin unknown.

Etymology: Origin unknown. See also mot n.³, and compare also English regional (Northumberland) moat woman.With sense 1 perhaps compare mort n.³ With sense 2 and mot n.³ perhaps compare Middle Dutch motte , mutte (compare motyhole n.). It has also been suggested that the word may be < Romani (1874 in G. Borrow Romano Lavo-Lil, but glossed ‘a cant word’), or an alteration of French amourette flirtation (12th cent. in Old French as amorete).

Etymology: Perhaps < an unattested Cornish form related to Welsh mêr , Early Irish smiur marrow, ultimately cognate with smear n.

Etymology: Origin uncertain. Perhaps shortened < mortal adj. (compare Compounds 1 s.v.), perhaps reinforced by murth n. (compare also quot. ?a1450 at that entry).Derivation from a borrowing of an early Scandinavian form (compare Old Icelandic mart, neuter of margr many (as in mart manna a great number of people)) is unlikely given the form, distribution, and chronology of the word. Recorded in Eng. Dial. Dict. s.v. Mort n.¹, adj.¹, and adv., in widespread use in England and in Ireland. Dict. Amer. Regional Eng. s.v. Mort n., records the word in U.S. regional use (chiefly in the southern Appalachian area).

Etymology: < Anglo-Norman and Middle French mort, adjective (feminine morte ): see mort n.¹

Etymology: < Middle French mortir to put to death (c1170 in Old French), (reflexive) to die (1458) < mort , adjective (see mort n.¹).Unless revived from the dictionary record, recent uses such as the following are unlikely to show any direct connection with this word (more likely showing a formation directly < classical Latin mort- , mors mort n.¹ or from one of its derivatives in English):1921 E. Hemingway Let. 28 Apr. (2011) I. 282 Have rated splitting head aches that damn near mort a man.