Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “masterly” come from?

Masterly comes from Middle English maisterli, from Middle English maister, from Old English -līċ and Latin magister, derived from Latin magnus meaning great.

masterly (English): Executed in the manner of a master; showing...

Definitions

  1. Executed in the manner of a master; showing...

Ancestry of “masterly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishmaisterliartistically; skilfully; in the manner of a...
2Middle Englishmaistermaster; lord; ruler
3Old Englishmægestermaster
4Latinmagisterteacher; master; a title of the Middle Ages,...
5Proto-Italicmagisteros—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanméǵh₂isteros—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanméǵh₂sbig, great

Words derived from “masterly”

  • masterliness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂s →