measles

measles · noun, verb¹

1. Old High German · derived frommasala“blood blister, phlegmon”
2. Middle Low German · derived frommaselen“red blemishes, measels”
3. Middle Dutch · derived frommasels“blood blisters, measels”
4. English todaymeasles

Either from Middle Dutch masels (“blood blisters, measels”) or Middle Low German maselen (“red blemishes, measels”), both from Old High German masala (“blood blister, phlegmon”). Doublet of measlings. Cognate with mazer & mase and Middle Low German masele & māsel. Influenced in pronunciation and some senses by mesel (“leprous, leper”).

measles · noun²

1. Late Latin · derived frommisellus“leper”
2. Old French · derived frommesel“leprous, leper”
3. Norman · derived frommesel“leprous, leper”
4. Middle English · inherited frommesel“leprous, leper”
5. English todaymeasles

From Middle English mesel (“leprous, leper”), from Norman mesel (“leprous, leper”), from Old French mesel (“leprous, leper”), from Late Latin misellus (“leper”), from miser (“wretched, wretch”) + -ellus (“-elle”).

Words from the same roots