massage English · revision 10479

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|formation=borrowing|attested=1874|origins=fr massage}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈmæsɑː(d)ʒ/, /məˈsɑː(d)ʒ/ ''(UK)''; /məˈsɑ(d)ʒ/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|fr|massage|t=friction, kneading]] (by 1819),^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) from masser, to massage,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) possibly from Arabic massa, to touch, feel, handle, perhaps picked up in Egypt during Napoleon's campaign there,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) or from Portuguese amassar, to knead, from massa, dough (see [[mass]]).^(Hoad 1986)^(NODE 1998)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The rubbing and kneading of the muscles and joints for therapy: 1874 in Etymonline, 1876 in Barnhart and the OED, about 1860 in Merriam-Webster.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The verb is from 1874 in Etymonline, 1887 in Barnhart and the OED.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989) ''Massage parlor'', first attested in 1894, was from the start a euphemism for a brothel,^(Etymonline) and the OED records massage as a euphemism for sexual activity from 1913.^(OED 1989) The figurative sense, to manipulate data so that they look better, is by 1966,^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) and ''to massage someone's ego'', to flatter, is also figurative.^(Collins 2023) ''Masseur'' and ''masseuse'' are 19th-century borrowings.^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1874 – massage.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1887 – to massage (verb).^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1894 – massage parlor.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1966 – to manipulate data.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The rubbing and kneading of parts of the body to aid circulation or relax the muscles.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To give a massage to.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To manipulate figures or data so that they appear better or support a view.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To flatter: ''to massage someone's ego''.^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[massager]]

+ * [[massotherapy]]

+ * [[heart massage]]

+ * [[Swedish massage]]

+ * [[massage parlor]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[masseur]]

+ * [[masseuse]]

+ * [[knead]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Massage was also an obsolete spelling of [[message]].^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}