Where does “mått” come from?

mått (Norwegian Nynorsk) comes from French mât, from Middle French mast, from Old French mast, from Latin mastus, from Frankish mast, from Proto-Germanic mastaz, from Proto-Indo-European mazdos — pole, mast; plank, board, flooring; perch, pole,...

mått (Norwegian Nynorsk): power, strength

Definitions

  1. power, strength

Ancestry of “mått”, step by step

mått traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via French mât

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchmâtmast; flagstaff
2Middle Frenchmastmast structure found on watercraft
3Old Frenchmastmast structure found on watercraft
4Latinmastusship mast
5Frankishmastship mast; mast
6Proto-Germanicmastazrod, pole, perch; bar, plank; mast
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmazdospole, mast; plank, board, flooring; perch, pole,...

via Old Norse máttr

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsemáttrmight, strength
2Proto-Germanicmahtizpower, ability; strength, force
3Proto-Germanicmahtuzmight, power
4Proto-Indo-Europeanmógʰtis
5Proto-Indo-Europeanmeǵʰ-to be able

via German matt

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanmattdull; exhausted, weak, feeble
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mazdosEvery word from Proto-Germanic mastazEvery word from Frankish mast