Where does “freemasonry” come from?
Freemasonry derives from English freemason, combining English free from Old English frēo and Latin macio through Frankish makjo, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European preyH-.
freemasonry (English): Fellowship and sympathy among a number of people;...
Definitions
- Fellowship and sympathy among a number of people;...
Ancestry of “freemasonry”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | freemason | A member of a guild of skilled itinerant masons... |
| 2 | English | mason | A bricklayer, one whose occupation is to build... |
| 3 | Middle English | masoun | — |
| 4 | Anglo-Norman French | machun | — |
| 5 | Old French | maçon | mason; builder |
| 6 | Latin | maciō | mason |
| 7 | Frankish | makōn | to build, make, work; to work, build, make; to... |
| 8 | Proto-West Germanic | -ōn | Creates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates... |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | -ōną | Creates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂yéti | Creates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive... |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 13 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |