μάσσω

Forms

μᾰ́σσω (mássō) ^[1]

Etymology

The origin is disputed, because Greek does not show whether the stem was originally μαγ- (mag-) or μακ- (mak-): both the aorist passive μαγῆναι (magênai) and nouns with μακ- occur.^[2][1]

If the stem was μαγ-, the verb is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂ǵ- (“to knead”), as a present *mh₂ǵyéti.^[1][3] It is then cognate with Proto-West Germanic *makōn (“to arrange, make”), the source of English make, and with Proto-Slavic *màzati (“to smear, anoint”), if the Germanic verb first meant “to knead, form”.^[1][3][2] Chantraine also cites Welsh and Breton verbs for kneading, which Beekes, following Matasović, considers unrelated.^[2][3]

If the stem was μακ-, it belongs with the root Proto-Indo-European *menk- (“to press, knead”), found in Lithuanian mìnkyti (“to knead”) and in the Balto-Slavic word for “flour”.^[3][4] LIV lists both roots.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Beekes dates the word from the Odyssey, where the compound ἀναμάσσω (anamássō) appears (19.92).^[3][5] The simple verb is first found in Archilochus, who uses the perfect passive participle of kneaded bread.^[6]

Semantic evolution

In classical Greek it means to knead dough, especially barley cakes, and to press soft material into a mould.^[6][5] Herodotus has the middle of people who knead powdered fish into a kind of bread.^[6][5] Aristophanes uses it figuratively of “kneading” ideas, and the middle came to mean taking the impression of something.^[6][5] An inscription from Priene uses it for wiping.^[5]

The word lived on in medieval vernacular Greek, and it survives in Modern Greek dialects.^[7]

Timeline

• 7th century BC – Archilochus uses the perfect passive participle of kneaded bread.^[6][8]
• 5th century BC – Herodotus uses the middle of kneading powdered fish into bread.^[6][5][8]
• 5th century BC – Thucydides and Aristophanes use the participle μεμαγμένος, “kneaded”.^[6][5][8]
• 5th–4th century BC – Aristophanes uses it figuratively, of kneading ideas.^[6][8]
• 5th–4th century BC – Plato has the aorist in the description of kneading barley cakes.^[5][6][8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To knead dough or barley cakes; to mould something into shape with the hands.^[6][5]
2. To press into a mould.^[5][3]
3. (figurative) To knead or shape ideas.^[6]
4. To wipe.^[5]
5. (middle) To take the impression of something; to cling close to it.^[5]

Word family

• ἀναμάσσω (anamássō)
• ἀπομάσσω (apomássō)
• ἐκμάσσω (ekmássō)
• προσμάσσω (prosmássō)
• ὑπομάσσω (hupomássō)
• καταμάσσω (katamássō)

Related words

• μάγειρος (mágeiros)
• μάγμα (mágma)
• μᾶζα (mâza)
• μάκτρα (máktra)

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Chantraine, Pierre (2009), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue grecque: histoire des mots, new ed. with a supplement (Chroniques d'étymologie grecque 1–10), Paris: Klincksieck
3. ^ a b c d e f Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
7. ^ Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
8. ^ a b c d e Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge