Mär

• Märe

From Middle High German mære, from Old High German mārī, ultimately from the adjective māri (“well known, famous”), from Proto-West Germanic *mārī, from Proto-Germanic *mērijaz.

• IPA^(key): /mɛːʁ/, [mɛ(ː)ɐ̯], [meːɐ̯]

• Audio:

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• Hyphenation: Mär
• Homophones: Meer, mehr (many speakers)

Mär f (genitive Mär, plural (now rare) Mären, diminutive Märchen n or Märlein n)

1. (higher register) an often repeated untruth, a fable, a false narrative

   die Mär von Massenvernichtungswaffen im Irak

   the fable of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq

2. (archaic) tale, fairytale, fable
3. (archaic) tidings, news

   Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her, ich bring euch gute neue Mär.

   From heaven above I come to bring you good new tidings.

• The sense “tidings” remains current only in the above-given line from a popular Christmas carol. The sense “fairytale” is continued by the diminutive Märchen, which see.

• “Mär” in Duden online
• “Mär” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache