Where does “amass” come from?
Amass comes from Middle English amassen, from Anglo-Norman amasser, from Medieval Latin amassare, ultimately from Latin ad combined with a root related to Ancient Greek μάσσω, both deriving from Proto-Indo-European meh₂ǵ- meaning to knead or mix.
amass (English): To collect into a mass or heap; to gather a great...
Definitions
- To collect into a mass or heap; to gather a great...
Ancestry of “amass”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | amassen | — |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | amasser | to collect up; to get together |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | amassare | — |
| 4 | Latin | massa | mass, bulk; load, burden; dough |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | μᾶζα | barley-bread or cake |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | μάσσω | to handle, work with my hands, knead; to wipe |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | mh₂ǵyéti | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | meh₂ǵ- | to knead, stroke |