Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “masa” come from?

Masa comes from Spanish masa, derived from Latin massa, from Ancient Greek μᾶζα, itself from the verb μάσσω meaning to knead or compress, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European meh₂ǵ-.

masa (English): A strong form of paper, smooth on one side and...

Definitions

  1. A strong form of paper, smooth on one side and...

Ancestry of “masa”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Spanishmasadough; mass; drove
2Latinmassamass, bulk; load, burden; dough
3Ancient Greekμᾶζαbarley-bread or cake
4Ancient Greekμάσσωto handle, work with my hands, knead; to wipe
5Proto-Indo-Europeanmh₂ǵyéti—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanmeh₂ǵ-to knead, stroke
Every word from Proto-Indo-European meh₂ǵ- →