Where does “máis” come from?
máis (Irish) comes from Middle Irish mais, from Old Irish mass, from Latin massa, from Ancient Greek μᾶζα, from Ancient Greek μάσσω, from Proto-Indo-European mh₂ǵyéti, from Proto-Indo-European meh₂ǵ- — to knead, stroke.
máis (Irish): genitive singular of más
Ancestry of “máis”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Irish | mais | — |
| 2 | Old Irish | mass | fine, handsome, goodly; mass, lump |
| 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 |