Etymology: < Anglo-Norman and Old French morel, morele, morelle (mid 13th cent.; French morelle ) and their etymon post-classical Latin morella, maurella (6th cent.; from early 13th cent. in British sources) < post-classical Latin morus , maurus black (see Moor n.²) + -ella -el suffix². Compare Old Occitan maurela (14th cent.; Occitan maurèla), Catalan morella (c1500), Spanish †morella (1471), Italian morella (early 13th cent.), also Middle Dutch morelle, morele.

Etymology: Probably < French morelle (1609; now rare), further etymology uncertain: perhaps either < post-classical Latin morellus , maurellus or < Italian morello (for both words see morel adj.), although neither the Latin nor the Italian adjective is attested designating a cherry; or perhaps connected with classical Latin mōrum (see more n.²), or with Italian regional amarella (see marasca n.; probably > early modern Dutch amarelle , marelle in Kiliaan; Dutch morel is probably after French). Compare morello n. N.E.D. (1908) gives the pronunciation as (more·l) /mɒˈrɛl/.

Etymology: < French morille (mid 16th cent. in Middle French), probably < an unattested post-classical Latin diminutive formation in -icula (see -cula suffix) < morus , maurus black (see Moor n.²), on account of the dark colour of the fungus. See also moriglio n.The relationship with Old High German morhila (Middle High German morchel , morhel , German Morchel ; > scientific Latin Morchella , genus name (Dillenius 1718)) < morha more n.¹ + -ila -el suffix² is uncertain and disputed. In Old High German the diminutive, like the primary word, occurs only denoting the carrot or the parsnip; in Middle High German both were applied also to the fungus; German Morchel occurs only in this sense: it is thus possible that in Middle High German the diminutive was conflated with a post-classical Latin word of similar sound, and subsequently became distinguished in this meaning from the primary word. The contrary development is probably shown by post-classical Latin morella carrot or parsnip (15th cent. in German glossarial sources), in sense at least probably after Middle High German.

Etymology: < post-classical Latin morellus black horse (from early 12th cent. in British sources), (of a horse) dark brown (from 13th cent. in British and continental sources) and its etymon Old French morel black horse (c1180; also in early use as proper name for a horse), (of a horse) dark brown, black (early 13th cent.; French moreau , (feminine) morelle ), probably < a post-classical Latin formation < morus , maurus (see Moor n.²) + -ellus -ellus suffix; compare post-classical Latin Maurellus as proper name in Spain in 8th cent., and also post-classical Latin morella , maurella morel n.² Compare Italian morello black horse (a1310), black, dark brown (14th cent.). Compare also (with uncertain suffixation) Spanish moreno dark-complexioned, dark-haired, dark-skinned, brown, also as noun (1204; > Portuguese moreno (16th cent.)). Middle Dutch moreel black horse is < Old French.