"M" Word Origins

Masha

Russian

From Russian and Ukrainian Máša, a nickname for Maria.

mashallah

Arabic

From Arabic "mā shāʾa llāh," what God has willed.

masher

Origin

From mash + -er.

mashup

Origin

From mash (“to convert into a mash; to mix thoroughly”) + up.

mask

Medieval Latin

From Middle French masque, from Italian maschera, from Medieval Latin masca — a doublet of "masque" and "mesh," and the source of "mascara" and "mascot" too.

masked

Origin

From mask plus the suffix "-ed."

masking

Origin

From mask plus the suffix "-ing."

masochism

Origin

From German Masochismus, coined alongside Sadismus in 1886 by Richard von Krafft-Ebing in his book Psychopathia Sexualis. Named after Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, whose novel "Venus in Furs" explores a sadomasochistic relationship, + -ism.

masochist

Origin

Named after the author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch; the term was coined by Richard von Krafft-Ebing and later popularized through Freud's writing.

mason

Old French

From Old French maçon, likely traced back to a Frankish word meaning "to make" or "build."

Masonic

Origin

From Mason (in the sense "Freemason") plus the suffix "-ic."

masonry

Old French

From Old French maçonerie, related to mason plus the suffix "-ry."

masque

Origin

Unadapted borrowing from French masque. Doublet of mask and mesh.

masquerade

French

From French mascarade, from Italian mascherata, ultimately from the same root as "mask."

masquerading

Origin

The gerund/present participle form of masquerade.

mass

Latin

From Old French masse, from Latin massa, "lump" or "dough," ultimately from Greek — a doublet of "masa."

Massa

Latin

The Italian place name is from Latin massa, "mass" or "lump"; the ethnonym is unrelated and native to the region.

Massachusetts

Origin

From the Massachusett language, meaning roughly "at the great hill," referring to the Blue Hills near Boston.

massacre

Old French

From Middle French massacre, likely from an Old French word for a slaughterhouse or butchery; ultimate origin disputed.

massage

French

From French massage, from masser, "to massage," possibly borrowed from Arabic massa, "to touch," or from Portuguese amassar.

massager

Origin

From massage plus the agent suffix -er.

Masse

French

From French Masse or French Massé. See also Mace.

masseur

French

Borrowed directly from French masseur, someone who performs massage.

masseuse

French

Borrowed from French masseuse, the feminine form of masseur.

Massey

Norman

* As an English surname, from the personal name Massy, a pet form of Matthew. Compare Mace. * Also as an English surname of Norman origin, from several places in Normandy such as Macey in Manche, Massy in Seine-Maritime, Macé-sur-Orne in Orne, La Ferté Macé in Orne. * Also as an English surname, variant of Marsay (see Marcey). * As a French surname, variant of Massé (see Masse). * As a southern French surname of Italian origin, from several places named Massa in Italy.

massive

Middle French

From Middle English massif, via Middle French, built from mass plus the adjective ending -ive.

massively

Origin

From massive plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

massotherapist

Origin

From masso- + therapist.

Massoud

Origin

Variant spelling of Masoud.

mast

Old English

From Old English mæst, going back to a Proto-Germanic and ultimately Proto-Indo-European root meaning "pole" — related to German Mast and Dutch mast.

mastectomy

Greek

Built from Greek mast- ("breast") plus -ectomy ("surgical removal").

master

Latin

From Old English mæster, borrowed from Latin magister ("chief, teacher"), ultimately from an Indo-European root shared with "much" and "magnus" (great).

masterbate

Latin

Masturbate comes from Latin masturbari, of uncertain formation; the traditional analysis links it to manus, hand, though this is not settled. The variant masterbate is not a separate word but a spelling influenced by the familiar English word master.

Mastercard

Origin

From master plus card, as the brand name of the card network.

masterful

Middle English

From Middle English maysterful, built from master plus -ful.

masterlike

Origin

From master + -like. Piecewise doublet of maestrolike.

masterly

Origin

PIE word *méǵh₂s From Middle English maisterli, from maister (“leader, ruler; high official; official in charge of a place; person in control; employer; owner; schoolmaster, teacher; scholar, sage; holder of a master's degree; religious teacher; master craftsman; expert; magician; social superior; husband; lover; Jesus Christ; a god; male stud animal”) + -li (suffix forming adjectives). Maister is derived from Old English mæġester (“master”) and Old French maistre (“master”) (modern French maître), both from Latin magister (“teacher; master”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s (“big, great”). The English word is analysable as master + -ly.

mastermind

Origin

From master plus mind.

masterpiece

Origin

From master plus piece, echoing older guild traditions where a "masterpiece" was the qualifying work a craftsman submitted to be certified a master.

mastersinger

Origin

Calque of German Meistersinger.

masterstroke

Origin

From master + stroke.

masterwork

Origin

From master + work.

mastery

Old French

From Old French maistrie, built from master plus -y.

masthead

Origin

From mast + head.

mastic

Origin

From Middle English mastik, from Old French mastic, from Latin mastiche, from Ancient Greek μαστίχη (mastíkhē), from μαστιχάω (mastikháō, “to chew”) (note the chewing gum sense). Related to masticate. The broad sense for cements came via extension from predecessor cements made with the tree's resin. Doublet of mastika.

masticate

Origin

From Latin masticātus, perfect passive participle of masticō (“to chew”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Alternatively, back-formation from mastication, either ultimately from Ancient Greek μαστιχάω (mastikháō, “to grind the teeth”). Compare French mastiquer.

mastication

Origin

From Late Latin masticātiō, equivalent to masticate + -ion.

mastigote

Origin

From Ancient Greek μάστιξ (mástix, “whip, scourge”) + -ote.