Etymograph

English

massif

Massif comes from Latin massa ‘mass, bulk (of material)’, from Ancient Greek μᾶζα ‘barley-cake, lump (of dough)’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂ǵ- ‘to knead’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*meh₂ǵ-‘to knead’reconstructed
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμᾶζαmâza‘barley-cake, lump (of dough)’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmassa‘mass, bulk (of material)’
  4. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600massif
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1891same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*meh₂ǵ-‘to knead’reconstructed
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμᾶζαmâza‘barley-cake, lump (of dough)’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmassa‘mass, bulk (of material)’
  4. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600massif
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1891same form

Earliest quotation: 1891, Carl Diener, Reviews and Notices: “The southern portion of the zone from the Maritime…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *meh₂ǵ- ‘to knead’

make, 2 more

through Ancient Greek μᾶζα ‘barley-cake, lump (of dough)’

maza, 2 more

through Latin massa ‘mass, bulk (of material)’

masa, 2 more

Today it means

noun A principal mountain mass.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *meh₂ǵ- / massif

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