Where does “macho” come from?
Macho comes from Spanish macho, from Latin masculus meaning male, diminutive of an unattested form related to Proto-Indo-European mereg- meaning to merge or distinguish.
macho (English): tending to display masculine characteristics,...
Definitions
- tending to display masculine characteristics,...
Ancestry of “macho”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | macho | male; strong, brave; sledgehammer |
| 2 | Old Spanish | maslo | male |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | masclus | Alternative form of masculus; male |
| 4 | Latin | masculus | male, masculine; man, male |
| 5 | Latin | mās | male |
| 6 | Proto-Nuristani | *māsa | moon |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | mā́Has | moon; month |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | mḗh₁n̥s | moon; month |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | meh₁- | to measure |