Etymograph

English

mesh

Mesh comes from Old English masc ‘net’, from Proto-Germanic *maskwǭ ‘mask’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mosgʷ- ‘netting, mesh, knot, loop’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mosgʷ-‘netting, mesh, knot, loop’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*maskwǭ‘mask’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*maskā‘mesh, net’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150masc‘net’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mesche
  6. Englishearliest quotation a. 1547mesh

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mosgʷ-‘netting, mesh, knot, loop’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*maskwǭ‘mask’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*maskā‘mesh, net’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150masc‘net’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mesche
  6. Englishearliest quotation a. 1547mesh

Earliest quotation: a. 1547, Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey: “I know how loue doth rage vpon a yelding…”

The story

From Middle English mesche, from Old English masc (‘net’) (perhaps influenced in form by related Old English mæscre (‘mesh, spot’)), from the related Proto-Germanic *maskwǭ and *maskrǭ respectively, from Proto-Indo-European *mezg- (‘to knit, twist, plait’).

Linked words

through Proto-West Germanic *maskā ‘mesh, net’

mask, mascot

Today it means

noun A structure made of connected strands of metal, fiber, or other flexible/ductile material, with evenly spaced openings between them.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *mosgʷ- / mesh

Shirt and support for this word