English
match
Match comes from Middle English macche ‘a bride or mate’, and goes back to Proto-Germanic *makô.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*makô‘an equal’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*makkjōreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150mæċċa‘companion’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500macche‘a bride or mate’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1602match
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*makô‘an equal’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*makkjōreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150mæċċa‘companion’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500macche‘a bride or mate’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1602match
Earliest quotation: c. 1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida: “It were no match, your nail against his horn.”
Every English word from Proto-Germanic *makô
Another origin of match
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500macche
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500macchen‘to marry’
- Englishtodaymatch
Another origin of match
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμύξαmúxa‘lamp wick’uncertain
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmyxa‘nozzle, curved part of a lamp’uncertain
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CEmicca
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400mesche
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500macche‘wick (of a candle)’
- Englishtodaymatch
From Middle English macche, mecche (‘wick (of a candle)’), from Old French mesche, meische, from Vulgar Latin micca (compare Catalan metxa, Spanish mecha, Italian miccia), which in turn is probably from Latin myxa (‘nozzle, curved part of a lamp’), from Ancient Greek μύξα (múxa, “lamp wick”).
Today it means
noun Any contest or trial of strength or skill, or to determine superiority.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *makô / match