English
masterly
Masterly comes from Middle English maister ‘master’, and goes back to Proto-Italic *magisteros ‘bigger, greater’.
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*magisteros‘bigger, greater’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmagister‘master, chief, head, superior, director, president, leader, commander, conductor’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400maistre‘master’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500maister‘master’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500maisterli
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1569masterly
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*magisteros‘bigger, greater’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmagister‘master, chief, head, superior, director, president, leader, commander, conductor’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400maistre‘master’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500maister‘master’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500maisterli
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1569masterly
Earliest quotation: a. 1569, Roger Ascham, The First Booke for the Youth [Teachyng the Brynging vp of Y: “The godlie counſels of Salomon and Ieſus the ſonne…”
Formed from master + -ly
Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s ‘big’
Old Latin magester
Latin magister ‘chief’
Old English mǣster
Middle English maister ‘master’
English master
The story
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.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *meǵh₂- ‘big’
much, majority, merino, 8 more
through Proto-Italic *magisteros ‘bigger, greater’
through Latin magister ‘master, chief, head, superior, director,…’
magistrate, maestro, meister, magisterial, magister, 9 more
through Old French maistre ‘master’
Today it means
adj Executed in the manner of a master; showing competence and skill; masterful.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *magisteros / masterly