2007-01-22 14:00:11 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Quotations
It means "only." When a sentence says, "He owns a mere two dogs," it means he owns only two dogs. The word "mere" also suggests that the amount is small (e.g., "mere pennies in his checking account").
2007-01-22 14:04:46 · answer #1 · answered by Suzannah F 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The first two answers are clear, succinct, and accurate, illuminating their contemporary meaning, the third imaginative.
Words, in English as in other languages, have a history. At one time, "mere" could mean "entire": the "mere" continent, meaning the "entire" continent. It could mean "pure" or unmixed: mere (pure) water. And it could mean "lake," as in Windermere, the lake which appears in the poetry of William Wordsworth. In this usage, it is a noun. The best way of tracing the history of English words is to consult the "Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles".
In the case of "mere" you see that words which could once signify largeness (or purity) now signify smallness or pettiness. Some words come down in the world in the course of history.
2007-01-23 03:51:07 · answer #2 · answered by tirumalai 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
mere = being nothing more nor better than...
as in a "mere" pittance.
or... He is still a "mere" child.
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2007-01-22 14:40:02 · answer #3 · answered by Joey Bagadonuts 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is also french for "mother". probably not what you were looking for, but oh well. :D
2007-01-22 15:14:45 · answer #4 · answered by shortdude 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋