Where does “massif” come from?
massif (French) comes from Old French massiz, from Vulgar Latin *massīcius, from Latin massa, from Ancient Greek μᾶζα, from Ancient Greek μάσσω, from Proto-Indo-European mh₂ǵyéti, from Proto-Indo-European meh₂ǵ- — to knead, stroke.
massif (French): massif; massive
Definitions
- massif; massive
Ancestry of “massif”, step by step
massif traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French massiz
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | massiz | — |
| 2 | Vulgar Latin | *massīcius | — |
| 3 | Latin | massa | mass, bulk; load, burden; dough |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | μᾶζα | barley-bread or cake |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | μάσσω | to handle, work with my hands, knead; to wipe |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | mh₂ǵyéti | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | meh₂ǵ- | to knead, stroke |
via Middle French massif
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | massif | — |