Where does “massage” come from?

massage (French) comes from French masser, from Latin massa, from Ancient Greek μᾶζα, from Ancient Greek μάσσω, from Proto-Indo-European mh₂ǵyéti, from Proto-Indo-European meh₂ǵ- — to knead, stroke.

massage (French): physical massage

Definitions

  1. physical massage

Ancestry of “massage”, step by step

massage traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via French masser

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchmasserto massage
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

via Arabic مس

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Arabicمسto feel, to touch; to handle, to palpate; to...
2Arabicسwill
3Arabicسَوْفَ{{qualifier|future tense marker}}

Words derived from “massage”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European meh₂ǵ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European mh₂ǵyéti →Every word from Ancient Greek μάσσω →