Where does “massif” come from?
massif (Middle French) comes from Latin massa, from Ancient Greek μᾶζα, from Ancient Greek μάσσω, from Proto-Indo-European mh₂ǵyéti, from Proto-Indo-European meh₂ǵ- — to knead, stroke.
Ancestry of “massif”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | massa | mass, bulk; load, burden; dough |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | μᾶζα | barley-bread or cake |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | μάσσω | to handle, work with my hands, knead; to wipe |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | mh₂ǵyéti | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | meh₂ǵ- | to knead, stroke |
Words derived from “massif”