Where does “matte” come from?

Matte derives from French mat, from Latin mattus, from Proto-Indo-European meh₂d-, ultimately from Persian شاه مات.

matte (English): A decorative border around a picture used to...

Definitions

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	French	mât	mast; flagstaff
2	Middle French	mast	mast
3	Old French	mast	mast
4	Latin	mastus	ship mast
5	Frankish	mast	ship mast; mast
6	Proto-Germanic	mastaz	rod, pole, perch; bar, plank; mast
7	Proto-Indo-European	mazdos	pole, mast; plank, board, flooring; perch, pole,...

matte — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer