Where does “macho” come from?

macho (Italian) comes from Spanish macho, from Old Spanish maslo, from Vulgar Latin masclus, from Latin masculus, from Latin mās, from Proto-Nuristani *māsa, from Proto-Indo-Iranian mā́Has, from Proto-Indo-European mḗh₁n̥s — to measure.

macho (Italian): macho

Definitions

  1. macho

Ancestry of “macho”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Spanishmachomale; strong, brave; sledgehammer
2Old Spanishmaslomale
3Vulgar LatinmasclusAlternative form of masculus; male
4Latinmasculusmale, masculine; man, male
5Latinmāsmale
6Proto-Nuristani*māsamoon
7Proto-Indo-Iranianmā́Hasmoon; month
8Proto-Indo-Europeanmḗh₁n̥smoon; month
9Proto-Indo-Europeanmeh₁-to measure
Every word from Proto-Indo-European meh₁-