mass English · revision 2718

+ English has two words spelled ''mass'': the Eucharist, from Latin missa, and “a lump, a large body”, from Latin massa.^(MWU 2024)^(Etymonline) Word Origins stresses that they are unrelated.^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ {{homograph|1|Eucharist}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 810|origins=la mittō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /mæs/; also UK /mɑːs/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The Eucharistic service is [[inh|enm|masse]], messe,^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) [[bor|ang|mæsse]], messe,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[la-vul|*messa]], an alteration of [[la-lat|missa|t=dismissal]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) the feminine past participle of [[la|mittere|t=to let go, send]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) the source of [[mission]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) It is probably named from the closing words of the service, Ite, missa est, “Go, it is the dismissal”, or “Go, the prayer has been sent”.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) Old English sometimes glossed the Latin word as sendnes.^(Etymonline) Old Saxon missa, Old High German messa and Old Norse messa are from the same source.^(Hoad 1986)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old English messe, before 810, and mæsse, before 901;^(Barnhart 1988) the OED's first example of a particular celebration of the Eucharist is from before 831.^(OED 1989) Middle English messe and masse are both in the ''Peterborough Chronicle'', in 1121 and 1135.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ After the Reformation the word was used chiefly of the Roman Catholic Eucharist.^(OED 1989) A musical setting of parts of the liturgy is by the 1590s.^(Etymonline) Merriam-Webster notes that Middle English masse also meant a feast day,^(MWU 2024) as in [[Christmas]] and [[Michaelmas]].^(MW Collegiate)^(Etymonline) Old English also had a verb, “to celebrate mass”, now rare.^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 810 – Old English messe.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * before 831 – a celebration of the Eucharist.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1590s – a musical setting.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(often Mass)'' The celebration of the [[Eucharist]] in the [[Roman Catholic]] and some other churches.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # A musical setting of the fixed parts of this service.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Christmas]]

+ * [[Candlemas]]

+ * [[Michaelmas]]

+ * [[Lammas]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|lump, body of matter}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1382, Wycliffe|origins=grc μᾶζα}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /mæs/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The lump is [[inh|enm|masse]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) [[bor|fro|masse|t=lump, heap; crowd; ingot]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) and directly [[bor|la|massa|t=kneaded dough, lump]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) probably from [[grc|μᾶζα|tr=mâza|t=barley cake, lump]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Klein 1966) related to [[m|grc|μάσσειν|tr=mássein|t=to knead]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) from [[ine-pro|*mag-|t=to knead, fashion, fit]].^(Etymonline) The verb is partly from the noun and partly from French masser.^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ An irregular lump, a body of coherent matter: before 1382, in the Wycliffe Bible,^(Barnhart 1988) the late 14th century in Etymonline^(Etymonline) and about 1400 in the OED.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ A large quantity, amount or number is from the 1580s,^(Etymonline) bulk in general from about 1600,^(Etymonline) and the bulk or greater part of something from the 1620s.^(Etymonline) The strict sense in physics, the quantity of matter in a body, is from 1704.^(Etymonline) ''The masses'', the common people, is from 1837, probably from French les masses.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Cresswell 2021) As an adjective, “of or involving many people, done on a large scale”, it is from 1733, in the American ''mass meeting'';^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) ''mass production'' is from 1920,^(Barnhart 1988) ''mass media'' from 1923, an advertising term,^(Barnhart 1988) ''mass murder'' from 1880 and ''mass grave'' from 1918.^(Etymonline) The verb, “to form into a mass”, is from 1563,^(Barnhart 1988) and “to gather in masses” by the 1560s.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1382 – a lump.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1563 – verb, to form into a mass.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1580s – a large quantity.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1704 – mass in physics.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1733 – adjective, as in ''mass meeting''.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1837 – ''the masses''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1920 – ''mass production''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1923 – ''mass media''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A body of matter with no definite shape; a [[lump]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # A large amount or number; the greater part: ''the mass of voters''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # ''(physics)'' The quantity of [[matter]] in a body, measured by its [[inertia]].^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # ''the masses'': The common people.^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Of or involving many people; on a large scale: ''mass production''.^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To gather or form into a mass.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[massive]]

+ * [[amass]]

+ * [[mass media]]

+ * [[mass production]]

+ * [[massy]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[mission]]

+ * [[dismiss]]

+ * [[message]]

+ * [[missive]]

+ * [[permit]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}