mass

mass · noun, verb, adjective¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*maǵ-“to oil, knead”
2. Ancient Greek · derived fromμᾶζα“barley-cake, lump (of dough)”
3. Latin · derived frommassa“lump, dough”
4. Anglo-Norman · derived frommasse
5. English todaymass

In late Middle English (circa 1400) as masse in the sense of "lump, quantity of matter", from Anglo-Norman masse, in Old French attested from the 11th century, via late Latin massa (“lump, dough”), from Ancient Greek μᾶζα (mâza, “barley-cake, lump (of dough)”). The Greek noun may be derived from the verb μάσσω (mássō, “to knead”), ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European *maǵ- (“to oil, knead”), although this is uncertain. Doublet of masa. The sense of "a large number or quantity" arises circa 1580. The scientific sense is from 1687 (as Latin massa) in the works of Isaac Newton, with the first English use (as mass) occurring in 1704.

mass · noun, verb²

1. Latin · derived frommittere“to send”
2. Late Latin · derived frommissa
3. Vulgar Latin · derived from*messa“Eucharist, dismissal”
4. Old French · derived frommesse
5. Old English · inherited frommæsse“the mass, church festival”
6. Middle English · inherited frommesse
7. English todaymass

From Middle English messe, masse, from Old English mæsse (“the mass, church festival”) and Old French messe, from Vulgar Latin *messa (“Eucharist, dismissal”), from Late Latin missa, noun use of feminine past participle of classical Latin mittere (“to send”), from ite, missa est (“go, (the assembly) is dismissed”), reanalyzed as "go, [that] is the missa", last words of the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church. Compare Dutch mis (“mass”), German Messe (“mass”), Danish messe (“mass”), Swedish mässa (“mass; expo”), Icelandic messa (“mass”). More at mission.

Mass · noun³

1. Latin · derived frommittō“to send, dismiss”
2. Late Latin · derived frommissa
3. Old French · derived frommesse
4. Old English · derived frommæsse
5. Middle English · inherited frommesse
6. English todayMass

From Middle English messe, from Old English mæsse and Old French messe, both from Late Latin missa, from Latin mittō (“to send, dismiss”), compare French messe. In the ancient churches, the public services at which the catechumens were permitted to be present were called missa catechumenorum, ending with the reading of the Gospel. Then they were dismissed with the words: "Ite, missa est", the congregation is dismissed. After that the sacrifice proper began. At its close the same words were said to those who remained. So the word gave the name of Mass to the sacrifice in the Catholic Church. Compare Christmas, Lammas, missal. Doublet of missa.

Mass · proper noun⁴

Short forms.

Words from the same roots