master English · revision 3046

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited, borrowing|attested=c. 1000|origins=la magis}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /ˈmɑː.stə/, US /ˈmæs.tɚ/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|maister]],^(MWU 2024)^(Barnhart 1988) [[inh|ang|mæġester|t=a man with authority, a teacher]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) an early borrowing from Latin, fused in Middle English with Old French [[m|fro|maistre]], meister,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) both from [[la|magister|t=chief, head, director, teacher]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) a contrastive formation (“he who is greater”) from [[m|la|magis|t=more]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(NODE 1998) which Etymonline takes to [[ine-pro|*meǵh₂-|alt=*meg-|t=great]].^(Etymonline) Magister was formed in contrast with minister, “the lesser one, servant”, from minus “less”.^(Barnhart 1988) The Latin word is also the source of French maître, Spanish and Italian maestro, Dutch meester and German Meister,^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) and of [[mister]].^(Hoad 1986) The verb is from the noun and partly from Old French maistrier.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old English mægester, “a man having control or authority over a place; a teacher or tutor of children”, is from about 1000.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989) The form maister is from probably about 1150.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the late 12th century a master was a man eminently skilled in something, and a chief teacher or spiritual guide.^(Etymonline) One who directs an office or business is from the mid-13th century,^(Etymonline) and one who employs others, correlative with servant or apprentice, from the mid-14th century.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) A master workman or craftsman, qualified to teach apprentices and trade on his own account, is from about 1300.^(Etymonline) The holder of a teaching degree, the master's degree, goes back to the medieval universities.^(Hoad 1986)^(Barnhart 1988) The captain of a merchant ship is a master from 1496 in ''master's mate'' and earlier.^(OED 1989) The verb first meant “to overcome, defeat”, probably before 1200 in the ''Ancrene Riwle'',^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) and “to become expert in” from 1740.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) The adjective, “chief, principal”, is from before 1225,^(Barnhart 1988) and an original recording from which copies are made is a modern sense.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate) ''Masterful'' is from about 1380^(Barnhart 1988) and ''masterpiece'' from the 17th century, after Dutch meesterstuk or German Meisterstück, the piece of work that qualified a craftsman.^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1000 – a man with authority; a teacher.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * before 1200 – verb, to overcome.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * late 12th century – a skilled man; a spiritual teacher.^(Etymonline)

+ * before 1225 – adjective.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1300 – a master craftsman.^(Etymonline)

+ * mid-14th century – an employer.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1380 – ''masterful''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1740 – verb, to become expert in.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A person who has control or [[authority]] over others; an [[employer]] or owner.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # A person with great skill in an art or [[craft]]; a qualified craftsman.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # The captain of a merchant [[ship]].^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # A person holding a master's degree; the degree itself.^(AHD)^(Hoad 1986)

+ # ''(chiefly British)'' A male teacher; the head of some colleges.^(AHD)^(Hoad 1986)

+ # An original recording or document from which copies are made.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # ''(dated)'' A title for a boy too young to be called Mister.^(AHD)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To become skilled in: ''master a language''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To overcome or bring under control.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To make a master recording of.^(AHD)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Main or principal: ''the master bedroom''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # Highly skilled: ''a master builder''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # Controlling all the other parts of a system: ''a master switch''.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[masterdom]]

+ * [[mastership]]

+ * [[masterless]]

+ * [[masterstroke]]

+ * [[overmaster]]

+ * [[remaster]]

+ * [[master chief petty officer]]

+ * [[master gunnery sergeant]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[mistress]]

+ * [[mister]]

+ * [[magistrate]]

+ * [[maestro]]

+ * [[magnitude]]

+ * [[minister]]

+ * [[mastery]]

+ * [[masterpiece]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ A separate ''master'', “a ship with a given number of masts”, as in ''three-master'', is formed from [[mast]].^(SOED 2002)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}