magma (n.)

mid-15c., "dregs, any crude mixture of organic matter," from Latin magma "dregs of an ointment," from Greek magma "thick unguent, ointment," from root of massein "to knead, mold," from PIE root *mag- "to knead, fashion, fit." Geological meaning "molten or semi-molten rock" is by 1859. Related: Magmatic.

also from mid-15c.

Entries linking to magma

*mag-

also *mak-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to knead, fashion, fit." It forms all or part of: amass; among; macerate; magma; make; mason; mass (n.1) "lump, quantity, size;" match (n.2) "one of a pair, an equal;" mingle; mongrel.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Greek magis "kneaded mass, cake," mageus "one who kneads, baker;" Latin macerare "soften, make soft, soak, steep;" Lithuanian minkyti "to knead;" Old Church Slavonic mazo "to anoint, smear;" Breton meza "to knead;" Old English macian "to make, form, construct, do," German machen "to make;" Middle Irish maistir "to churn."

Trends of magma

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

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onset

1530s, "attack, assault, a rushing or setting upon," from on + set (n.); compare verbal phrase to set (something) on (someone), c. 1300, originally "sic (a dog) on." Weaker sense of "beginning, start" is recorded from 1560s. Figurative use in reference to a calamity, disease, etc

stone

"discrete piece of rock," especially not a large one, Old English stan, which was used of common rocks, precious gems, concretions in the body, memorial stones, from Proto-Germanic *stainaz (source also of Old Norse steinn, Danish steen, Old Saxon sten, Old Frisian sten, Dutch st

rock

[stone, mass of mineral matter], Middle English rokke, roche "stone as a substance; large rocky formation, rocky height or outcrop, crag," from Old English rocc (as in stanrocc "stone rock or obelisk") and directly from Old North French roque, variant of Old French roche, which i

cork

c. 1300, "the light, elastic outer bark of a species of oak tree native to Iberia and North Africa, used for many purposes," from Spanish alcorque "cork sole," probably from earlier Spanish corcho, from Latin quercus "oak" (see Quercus) or cortex (genitive corticis) "bark" (see c

algorithm

1690s, "Arabic system of computation," from French algorithme, refashioned (under mistaken connection with Greek arithmos "number") from Old French algorisme "the Arabic numeral system" (13c.), from Medieval Latin algorismus, a mangled transliteration of Arabic al-Khwarizmi "nati

bluff

1839, "to deceive (opponents), especially by betting heavily and with a confident air on a worthless hand to make them 'fold,'" an American English poker term, perhaps from Dutch bluffen "to brag, boast," or verbluffen "to baffle, mislead." The general sense "use a show of confid

proud

late Old English prud, prute "excellent, splendid; arrogant, haughty, having or cherishing a high opinion of one's own merits; guilty of the sin of Pride," from Old French prud, oblique case of adjective prouz "brave, valiant" (11c., Modern French preux; compare prud'homme "brave

fatigue

1660s, "that which causes weariness," from French fatigue "weariness," from fatiguer "to tire" (15c.), from Latin fatigare "to weary, to tire out," originally "to cause to break down," from pre-Latin adjective *fati-agos "driving to the point of breakdown," with first half from O

gymnasium

1590s, "place of exercise," from Latin gymnasium "school for gymnastics," from Greek gymnasion "public place where athletic exercises are practiced; gymnastics school," in plural, "bodily exercises," from gymnazein "to exercise or train," literally or figuratively, literally "to

tuxedo

man's evening dress for semiformal occasions, 1889, named for Tuxedo Park, N.Y., a rural resort development for wealthy New Yorkers and site of a country club where it first was worn, supposedly in 1886. The name is an attractive subject for elaborate speculation, and connections

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updated on October 30, 2018

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