Where does “matchmake” come from?
matchmake (English) comes from English matchmaking, from English match, from Middle English macche, from Old English ġemæċċa, from Old English ġemaca, from Old English ġe-, from Proto-West Germanic ga-, from Proto-Germanic ga- — resin, gum; to say, speak.
matchmake (English): To do matchmaking: to set up a date between two...
Definitions
- To do matchmaking: to set up a date between two...
Ancestry of “matchmake”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | matchmaking | An attempt to make two people romantically... |
| 2 | English | match | A competitive sporting event such as a boxing... |
| 3 | Middle English | macche | A bride or mate; a romantic or sexual partner |
| 4 | Old English | ġemæċċa | — |
| 5 | Old English | ġemaca | a mate, an equal, companion, peer; companion,... |
| 6 | Old English | ġe- | used as an intensifier for verbs, indicating completeness or perfection |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | ga- | used as an intensifier for verbs, indicating... |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | ga- | Indicates association or togetherness; co-;... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱóm | beside, near, by, with |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱe | Deictic particle, here; Post-positional... |
| 11 | Middle English | kyt | — |
| 12 | German | kitt | putty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes |
| 13 | Old High German | kuti | — |
| 14 | Proto-West Germanic | kwidu | gum, resin |
| 15 | Proto-Germanic | kweduz | resin |
| 16 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷet- | resin, gum; to say, speak |