Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “mester” come from?

mester (English) comes from English mister, from English master, from Middle English maister, from Old English mægester, from Latin magister, from Proto-Italic magisteros, from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂isteros, from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂s — big, great.

mester (English): Obsolete form of mister

Definitions

  1. Obsolete form of mister

Ancestry of “mester”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmisterA title conferred on an adult male, usually when...
2EnglishmasterSomeone who has control over something or...
3Middle Englishmaistermaster; lord; ruler
4Old Englishmægestermaster
5Latinmagisterteacher; master; a title of the Middle Ages,...
6Proto-Italicmagisteros—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanméǵh₂isteros—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanméǵh₂sbig, great
Every word from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂s →