In the West Riding ‘mere’ in the sense of boundary developed a related but quite distinct meaning, serving to identify a territory rather than a boundary.
The Old French word mes derives from the Latin verb ‘manere’, that is to dwell or remain, and it was used for a dwelling place or the site of a dwelling.
Originally, the ‘messuage’ was a piece of land occupied, or intended to be occupied, as a site for a dwelling-house. Over the centuries the word then acquired new layers of meaning which reflected the individual histories of such properties.
A noun with various meanings, all associated with ‘measure’. It was often a unit of measurement, equivalent in some cases to one bushel, or to more than one depending on the commodity.
A popular word in Yorkshire where it is typically used now of the weather and health. It means ‘average’ or ‘medium’; that is nothing to get excited about.