Etymology Explorer › Spanish

Where does “macho” come from?

macho (Spanish) comes 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, from Proto-Indo-European meh₁- — to measure.

macho (Spanish): male; strong, brave; sledgehammer

Definitions

  1. male; strong, brave; sledgehammer

Ancestry of “macho”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Spanishmaslo—
2Vulgar LatinmasclusAlternative form of masculus; male
3Latinmasculusmale, masculine; man, male
4Latinmās—
5Proto-Nuristani*māsa—
6Proto-Indo-Iranianmā́Hasmoon; month
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmḗh₁n̥smoon; month
8Proto-Indo-Europeanmeh₁-to measure

Words derived from “macho”

  • macho
  • machete
  • machismo
  • machoism
  • hypermacho
  • supermacho
  • nonmacho
  • machoistic
  • ultramacho
  • unmacho
  • machetelike
  • antimacho
  • machoness
  • machoistically
  • macho dancer
  • machohood
  • machucar
  • machar
  • machete
  • micromachismo
  • machismo
  • machetazo
  • macho
  • мачизм
Every word from Proto-Indo-European meh₁- →