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

macho traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old Spanish maslo

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

via Latin Mārculus

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1LatinMārculussmall hammer, hammer
2Proto-Indo-Europeanmelh₂-to grind, to crush
3Proto-Indo-Europeanmel-soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub
4Proto-Indo-Europeanmey-to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange

Words derived from “macho”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European meh₁- →