Where does “messing” come from?
messing (Dutch) comes from Middle Dutch messinc, from Proto-West Germanic *massing, from Latin massa, from Ancient Greek μᾶζα, from Ancient Greek μάσσω, from Proto-Indo-European mh₂ǵyéti, from Proto-Indo-European meh₂ǵ- — to knead, stroke.
messing (Dutch): brazen, made of brass; brass
Definitions
- brazen, made of brass; brass
Ancestry of “messing”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Dutch | messinc | — |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | *massing | — |
| 3 | Latin | massa | mass, bulk; load, burden; dough |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | μᾶζα | barley-bread or cake |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | μάσσω | to handle, work with my hands, knead; to wipe |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | mh₂ǵyéti | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | meh₂ǵ- | to knead, stroke |