Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “make” come from?

Make comes from Middle English maken, from Old English macian, from Proto-Indo-European mag-, a root meaning to knead or fashion.

make (English): To create; To behave, to act; To tend; to...

Definitions

  1. To create; To behave, to act; To tend; to...

Ancestry of “make”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishmakeAlternative form of maken; easy
2Middle EnglishmakenTo make or create; to have something made
3Old Englishmacianto make
4Emilianmâcia—
5LatinMacula—
6Proto-Indo-Europeansmh₁-tleh₂—
7Proto-Indo-Europeansmeh₁-smear, rub

Words derived from “make”

  • making
  • policymaking
  • lovemaking
  • remake
  • filmmaking
  • peacemaking
  • rulemaking
  • lawmaking
  • sensemaking
  • troublemaker
  • dressmaking
  • matchmaking
  • makest
  • homemaking
  • winemaking
  • unmake
  • moneymaking
  • printmaking
  • merrymaking
  • shoemaking
  • makespan
  • grantmaking
  • haymaking
  • mythmaking
Every word from Proto-Indo-European smeh₁- →