Editing March (territory) (section)

==Etymology==
The word "march" derives ultimately from a [[Proto-Indo-European]] root *''merg-'', meaning "edge, boundary". The root *''merg-'' produced [[Latin]] ''margo'' ("margin"), [[Old Irish]] ''mruig'' ("borderland"), [[Welsh language|Welsh]] ''bro'' ("region, border, valley") and [[Persian language|Persian]] and [[Armenian language|Armenian]] ''[[Marz (country subdivision)|marz]]'' ("borderland"). The [[Proto-Germanic]] ''*marko'' gave rise to the [[Old English language|Old English]] word ''mearc'' and [[Frankish language|Frankish]] ''marka'', as well as [[Old Norse]] ''mǫrk'' meaning "borderland, forest",<ref name=etymology>{{cite web|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=mark|title=Online Etymology Dictionary|website=www.etymonline.com}}</ref> and [[Derivation (linguistics)|derived]] from ''merki'' "boundary, sign",<ref name=etymology/> denoting a borderland between two centres of power.

In Old English, "mark" meant "boundary" or "sign of a boundary", and the meaning only later evolved to encompass "sign" in general, "impression" and "trace".

The [[Anglo-Saxon]] kingdom of [[Mercia]] took its name from [[West Sexaon dialect (Old English)|West Saxon]] ''mearc'' "marches", which in this instance referred explicitly to the territory's position on the Anglo-Saxon [[Offa's Dyke|frontier]] with the [[Romano-Britons|Romano-British]] to the west.

During the Frankish [[Carolingian dynasty]], usage of the word spread throughout Europe.

The name "Denmark" preserves the Old Norse cognates ''merki'' ("boundary") ''mǫrk'' ("wood", "forest") up to the present. Following the [[Anschluss]], the Nazi German government revived the old name [[Ostmark (Austria)|"Ostmark"]] for Austria.