Online Etymology Dictionary

Marxist (n.): 1886, "devotee of the teachings of Marx," from Fr. marxiste, from Karl Marx (1818-83), Ger. political theorist. The adj. is attested from 1897, as is Marxism. The adj. Marxian (1940) sometimes is used (e.g. by Groucho) to distinguish the U.S. comedic team from the Ger. political philosopher.
Mary: fem. proper name, O.E. Maria, Marie, "mother of Jesus," from L. Maria, from Gk. Mariam, Maria, from Aram. Maryam, from Heb. Miryam, sister of Moses (Ex. xv.), of unknown origin, said to mean lit. "rebellion." Nursery rhyme "Mary had a Little Lamb" written early 1830 by Sarah Josepha Hale of Boston; published Sept. 1830 in "Juvenile Miscellany," a popular magazine for children. Mary Jane is 1921 as the proprietary name of a kind of low-heeled shoe worn chiefly by young girls, 1928 as slang for marijuana.
Maryland: named for Henrietta Maria (1609-69), wife of English King Charles I.
marzipan: 1901 (in modern use; earlier march payne, 1494, from Fr. or Du.), from Ger. Marzipan, from It. marzapane, "candy box," in M.L. "small box," earlier, "coin bearing image of seated Christ." One suggestion is that this is from Arabic mawthaban "king who sits still." Nobody seems to quite accept this, but nobody has a better idea.
mascara: 1890, from Sp. mascara "stain, mask," from same source as It. maschera "mask" (see mask).
mascot: 1881, from provincial Fr. mascotte "sorcerer's charm, 'faerie friend,' good luck piece," from Prov. mascoto "sorcery, fetish" (cf. Narbonnese manuscript, 1233, mascotto "procuress, enchantment, bewitchment in gambling"), from masco "witch," from O.Prov. masca, from M.L. masca "mask, specter, nightmare" (see mask). Popularized by Fr. composer Edmond Audran's 1880 operetta "Le Mascotte."
masculine: late 14c., "belonging to the male sex," from O.Fr. masculin "of the male sex," from L. masculinus "male, of masculine gender," from masculus, dim. of mas (gen. maris) "male person, male," of unknown origin. Grammatical sense first recorded c.1380. Meaning "having the appropriate qualities of the male sex, manly, virile, powerful" is first attested 1629.
maser: 1955, acronym from "microwave amplification (by) stimulated emission (of) radiation."
mash (n.): late O.E. masc-wyrt "mash-wort, infused malt," from P.Gmc. *maisk- (cf. Swed. mäsk "grains for pigs," Ger. Maisch "crushed grapes," O.E. meox "dung, filth), from PIE *meigh- "to sprinkle" (cf. O.E. miscian "to mix," Skt. mehati "urinates," Gk. omeikhein, L. meiere "to urinate," Pol. miazga "sap"). Originally a word in brewing; general sense of "anything reduced to a soft pulpy consistency" is recorded from 1598. Short for mashed potatoes it is attested from 1904. The verb is O.E. mæscan, from the noun.
masher: 1875, Amer.Eng., perhaps in use from 1860, probably from mash (n.) on notion either of "pressing one's attentions," or of "crushing someone else's emotions."
mashie: "five iron," 1881, from Scot., probably from Fr. massue "club," from V.L. *mattiuca, from L. mateola "a tool for digging" (see mace (1)).
mask (n.): 1534, from M.Fr. masque "covering to hide or guard the face," from It. maschera, from M.L. masca "mask, specter, nightmare," of uncertain origin, perhaps from Arabic maskhara "buffoon," from sakhira "to ridicule." Or via Prov. mascarar, Catalan mascarar, O.Fr. mascurer "to black (the face)," perhaps from a Gmc. source akin to Eng. mesh (q.v.). But cf. Occitan mascara "to blacken, darken," derived from mask- "black," which is held to be from a pre-I.E. language, and Old Occitan masco "witch," surviving in dialects; in Beziers it means "dark cloud before the rain comes." [See Walther von Wartburg, "Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch: Eine Darstellung galloromanischen sprachschatzes"] The verb meaning "to wear a mask" is from 1588; in the extended sense of "disguise," is attested from 1847. Masking tape first recorded 1936; so called because it is used to block out certain surfaces before painting.
masochism: "sexual pleasure in being hurt or abused," 1893, from Ger. Masochismus, coined 1883 by Ger. neurologist Richard von Krafft-Ebing (1840-1902), from name of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch (1836-95), Austrian novelist who enshrined his submissive sexuality in "Venus in Furs."
mason: c.1200, from O.Fr. masson (O.N.Fr. machun), probably from Frank. *makjo (cf. O.H.G. steinmezzo "stone mason," related to mahhon "to make;" see make (v.)). But it also may be from, or influenced by, M.L. machio, matio (7c.) which is said by Isidore to be derived from machina (see machine). The word also may be from the root of L. maceria "wall." Meaning "a Freemason" is attested from early 15c. in Anglo-Fr. Masonry "stonework" is attested from mid-14c.
Mason jar: 1885, named for John L. Mason of New York, who patented it in 1858.
Mason-Dixon Line: 1779, named for Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, Eng. astronomers who surveyed (1763-7) the disputed boundary between the colonial holdings of the Penns and the Calverts. It became the technical boundary between "free" and "slave" states after 1804, when the last Northern state (New Jersey) passed its abolition act. As the line between "the North" and "the South" in U.S. culture, it is attested from 1834.
Masonite: 1926, proprietary name of a type of fiberboard, by Mason Fibre Company, Laurel, Miss.
masque: "masquerade, masked ball," 1514, from M.Fr. masque (see mask). Originally the same word, it developed a special sense of "amateur theatrical performance" (1562) in Elizabethan times, when such entertainments (originally performed in masks) were popular among the nobility.
masquerade (n.): 1597, from Fr. mascarade or Sp. mascarada "masked party or dance," from It. mascarata "a ball at which masks are worn," var. of mascherata "masquerade," from maschera (see mask). Fig. sense of "false outward show" is from 1674. The verb is attested from 1692.
mass (1): "lump, quantity, size," c.1400, from O.Fr. masse "lump" (11c.), from L. massa "kneaded dough, lump, that which adheres together like dough," from Gk. maza "barley cake, lump, mass, ball," related to massein "to knead," from PIE base *mag-/*meg- "to knead" (cf. Lith. minkyti "to knead," see macerate). Sense extended 1585 to "a large quantity, amount, or number." Strict sense in physics is from 1704. Verb meaning "to gather in a mass" is attested from 1563. The masses "people of the lower class" is from 1837. Mass meeting is first attested 1733 in Amer.Eng.; mass production is from 1920; and mass media is first recorded 1923.
mass (2): "Eucharistic service," O.E. mæsse, from V.L. *messa "eucharistic service," lit. "dismissal," from L.L. missa "dismissal," fem. pp. of mittere "to let go, send," from concluding words of the service, Ite, missa est, "Go, (the prayer) has been sent," or "Go, it is the dismissal."
Massachusetts: plural, originally (1614) in ref. to the Algonquian native people who lived around the bay, from Algonquian Massachusett "at the large hill," in ref. to Great Blue Hill, southwest of Boston.
massacre (v.): 1581, from M.Fr. massacre "wholesale slaughter, carnage," from O.Fr. macacre, macecle "slaughterhouse, butchery," perhaps from L. macellum "provisions store, butcher shop." The noun is attested from 1586.
massage (n.): 1876, from Fr. massage "friction of kneading," from masser "to massage," possibly from Arabic massa "to touch, feel, handle;" if so, probably picked up in Egypt during the Napoleonic campaign there. Other possibility is that Fr. got it in colonial India from Port. amassar "knead," a verb from L. massa "mass, dough" (see mass (1)). The verb is attested from 1887. Masseur, fem. masseuse, both dating to 1876, are from Fr. masser. Massage parlor first attested 1913, from the start a euphemism for "house of prostitution."
massive: c.1408, from M.Fr. massif (fem. massiv) "bulky, solid," from O.Fr. masse "lump" (see mass (1)). The un-Anglicized massif (1524) is also still occasionally used for "cluster of hills."
mast (1): "long pole on a ship to support the sail," O.E. mæst, from P.Gmc. *mastaz (cf. O.N. mastr, Du., Ger. mast), from PIE *mazdos "a pole, rod" (cf. L. malus "mast," O.Ir. matan "club," Ir. maide "a stick," O.C.S. mostu "bridge"). Masthead is from 1748 as "top of a ship's mast" (the place for the display of flags), hence, from 1838, "top of a newspaper." The single mast of an old ship was the boundary between quarters of officers and crew, hence before the mast in the title of Dana's book, etc.
mast (2): "fallen nuts; food for swine," O.E. mæst, from P.Gmc. *mastaz (cf. Du., Ger. mast "mast," O.E. verb mæsten "to fatten, feed"), perhaps from PIE *mazdo-/*maddo- "to be fat, to flow" (cf. Skt. meda "fat," Goth. mats "food," see meat).
mastectomy: 1923, formed from Gk. ectome "a cutting" + mastos "woman's breast," from base madan "to be wet, to flow," from PIE *mad- "wet, moist, dripping" (cf. L. madere "be moist;" Skt. mad- "bubble, be glad," medah "fat, marrow," madati "is drunk;" Alb. mend "suckle").
master (n.): O.E. mægester "one having control or authority," from L. magister "chief, head, director, teacher" (cf. O.Fr. maistre, Fr. maître, It. maestro, Ger. Meister), infl. in M.E. by O.Fr. maistre, from L. magister, contrastive adj. from magis (adv.) "more," itself a comp. of magnus "great." Meaning "original of a recording" is from 1904. In academic senses (from M.L. magister) it is attested from late 14c., originally a degree conveying authority to teach in the universities. The verb is attested from early 13c.
mastermind: 1720, "an outstanding intellect," from master + mind. Meaning "head of a criminal enterprise" is first attested 1872.
masterpiece: 1605, from master + piece. A translation of Du. meesterstuk "work by which a craftsman attains the rank of master" (cf. Ger. Meisterstück).
mastic: "resin obtained from certain trees," 1373, from O.Fr. mastic, from L.L. mastichum, from L. mastiche, from Gk. mastikhe, probably related to masasthai "to chew" (see mastication). The substance is used as a chewing gum in the East.
mastication: 1565, from L. masticationem (nom. masticatio), from masticare "to chew" (cf. O.Fr. maschier, Fr. mâcher), probably from Gk. mastikhan "to gnash the teeth," related to mastax "mouth, jaws," and masasthai "to chew," from PIE *menth- "to chew, mouth" (cf. L. mandere "to chew," Goth. munþs, O.E. muð "mouth").
mastiff: "large, powerful breed of dog," early 14c., from O.Fr. mastin or Prov. mastis, both from V.L. *mansuetinus "domesticated," from L. mansuetus "tame, gentle" (see mansuetude). Form influenced by O.Fr. mestif "mongrel."
mastodon: 1813, from Mod.L. genus name Mastodon (1806), coined by Fr. naturalist Georges Léopole Chrétien Frédéric Dagobert, Baron Cuvier (1769-1832) from Gk. mastos "breast" + odont- "tooth," so called from the nipple-like projections on the crowns of the extinct mammal's fossil molars.
mastoid: 1732, from Gk. mastoeides "resembling a breast," from mastos "breast" (see mastectomy) + -oeides "like," from eidos "form, shape" (see -oid).
masturbation: 1766, from Mod.L. masturbationem, from L. masturbatus, pp. of masturbari, altered (probably by influence of turbare "to stir up") from *manstuprare, from manu, abl. of manus "hand" (see manual) + stuprare "defile" (oneself), from stuprum "defilement, dishonor," related to stupere "to be stunned, stupefied" (see stupid). Earlier Onanism (q.v.). The verb masturbate is first recorded 1857.
mat: O.E. matte, from L.L. matta "mat made of rushes" (4c.), probably from Punic or Phoenician (cf. Heb. mittah "bed, couch"). Meaning "piece of padded flooring used in gymnastics or wrestling" is attested from 1903. Matted "tangled and lying flat" (of hair, etc.) is from 1613.
Mata Hari: stage name taken by Margaretha Gertruida Zelle (1876-1917), from Malay mata "eye" + hari "day, dawn."
matador: 1674, from Sp. matador, lit. "killer," from matar "to kill or wound," probably from Arabic mata "he died," from Persian (see second element in checkmate).
match (1): "stick for striking fire," late 14c., "wick of a candle or lamp," from O.Fr. meiche "wick of a candle," from V.L. *micca/*miccia (cf. Catalan metxa, Sp. mecha, It. miccia), probably ult. from L. myxa, from Gk. myxa "lamp wick," originally "mucus," based on notion of wick dangling from the spout of a lamp like snot from a nostril. Meaning "piece of cord or splinter of wood soaked in sulphur, used for lighting fires, lamps, candles, etc." is from 1530. First used 1831 for the modern type of friction match, and competed with lucifer for much of 19c. as the name for this invention.
match (2): "one of a pair," O.E. mæcca, from gemæcca "companion, mate, wife, one suited to another," from P.Gmc. *gamakon "fitting well together" (cf. O.H.G. gimah "comfort, ease," M.H.G. gemach "comfortable, quiet"), from PIE base *mak-/*mag- "to fit" (see make (v.)). M.E. sense of "matching adversary, person able to contend with another" (c.1300) led to sporting meaning "contest," first attested 1545. Match-maker "marriage-broker" is attested from c.1639.
matchcoat: "fur-skinned mantle worn by Native Americans," 1642, originally matchco, probably a native word (cf. Ojibwa majigoode "petticoat, woman's dress"), altered by infl. of coat (n.).
mate (n.): "companion, associate, fellow, comrade," c.1380, from M.L.G. mate, gemate "one eating at the same table, messmate," from P.Gmc. *ga-maton "having food (*matiz) together (*ga-)," which is etymologically identical with companion (q.v.). Meaning "one of a wedded pair" is attested from 1549. Used as a form of address by sailors, laborers, etc., since at least 1450. Meaning "officer on a merchant vessel is from 1496. The verb, of animals, "to pair for the purpose of breeding" is first recorded 1601. The verb in chess (c.1320) is short for checkmate (q.v.) and is not related.
material: late 14c. (adj.) "pertaining to matter," a term in scholastic philosophy and theology, from L.L. materialis (adj.) "of or belonging to matter," from L. materia "matter, stuff, wood, timber" (see matter). The noun is attested from 1556. Materialism is 1748 as a philosophy that nothing exists except matter (from Fr.); 1851 (in Hawthorne) as "a way of life based entirely on consumer goods." Materialize "appear in bodily form" dates from 1880, from spiritualism.
materiel: 1814, from Fr. matériel "material," from O.Fr. materiel (adj.), from L. materialis "of matter," from materia "substance" (see matter). A later borrowing of the same word that became material.
maternal: 1481, from O.Fr. maternel (14c.), from V.L. *maternalis, from L. maternus "maternal, of a mother," from mater "mother" (see mother).
maternity: 1611, "quality or condition of being a mother," from Fr. maternité "motherhood," from M.L. maternitatem (nom. maternitas), from L. maternus (see maternal). Used from 1893 in ref. to garments designed for pregnant women.
mathematic: c.1380 as singular, replaced by early 17c. by mathematics (1581), from L. mathematica (pl.), from Gk. mathematike tekhne "mathematical science," fem. sing. of mathematikos (adj.) "relating to mathematics, scientific," from mathema (gen. mathematos) "science, knowledge, mathematical knowledge," related to manthanein "to learn," from PIE base *mn-/*men-/*mon- "to think, have one's mind aroused" (cf. Gk. menthere "to care," Lith. mandras "wide-awake," O.C.S. madru "wise, sage," Goth. mundonsis "to look at," Ger. munter "awake, lively"). Mathematics (pl.) originally denoted the mathematical sciences collectively, including geometry, astronomy, optics. Math is the Amer.Eng. shortening, attested from 1890; the British preference, maths is attested from 1911.
Matilda: fem. proper name, from Fr. Mathilde, of Gmc. origin, lit. "mighty in battle," cf. O.H.G. Mahthilda, from mahti "might, power" + hildi "battle."