Etymology Explorer › Latin

Where does “magma” come from?

magma (Latin) comes from Ancient Greek μάγμα, from Ancient Greek μάσσω, from Proto-Indo-European mh₂ǵyéti, from Proto-Indo-European meh₂ǵ- — to knead, stroke.

Ancestry of “magma”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ancient GreekμάγμαA kind of thick unguent
2Ancient Greekμάσσωto handle, work with my hands, knead; to wipe
3Proto-Indo-Europeanmh₂ǵyéti—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanmeh₂ǵ-to knead, stroke
Every word from Proto-Indo-European meh₂ǵ- →