Etymology: Ultimately < the Germanic base of Middle Dutch masche , maesche (Dutch regional massche , Dutch maas mass n.³), Old Saxon maska (Middle Low German masche ), Old High German masca , masco (Middle High German masche , German Masche ), Old Icelandic mǫskvi (Icelandic möskvi ), Norwegian maske , Norwegian (Nynorsk) moske , Swedish maska , Danish maske ; ultimately cognate are Lithuanian megzti to knot, knit, mazgas knot. It is uncertain whether the Middle English word is a loan from early Scandinavian, or represents the continuation of Old English max . Compare mesh n.Old English (plural) max occurs three times in the gloss on Ælfric's Colloquy (see quots.) translating post-classical Latin retia , plural of rete rete n., which is also glossed in close proximity by net . It is unclear whether the two terms are used contrastively or synonymously: max here might have the sense ‘noose’ or ‘snare’ attested for some of its cognates. The Old English plural forms max and (dative) maxum show failure of palatalization and assibilation of /sk/ > /ʃ/, and subsequent metathesis of the consonant cluster, in the first case finally after a back vowel, and in the second internally before one. The attested forms in -a- might go back to an earlier unattested *mæsc (see further notes s.vv. mesh n. and mascle n.²), of which maxum would be the regular dative plural inflection (with retraction of -æ- > -a- before a back vowel), other forms in the paradigm then being altered by analogy with the oblique plural forms. Note also that while most of the cognates in the West Germanic languages are feminine, Old English max is apparently neuter. The (feminine) form mæscre occurs once in Old English glossing classical Latin macula macula n. However, the morphological identity of the final -re is unclear (compare quot. 1552), as is the quantity of the vowel; if long, it may represent a different Germanic ablaut grade (see mesh n.):eOE Cleopatra Gloss. in W. G. Stryker Lat.-Old Eng. Gloss. in MS Cotton Cleopatra A.III (Ph.D. diss., Stanford Univ.) (1951) 313 Macula, mæscre. Post-classical Latin mascra mesh of a net (c1292 in a British source), also in forms maskara , maskera (1301, 1375 in British sources), is probably a borrowing from an unrecorded Middle English form; compare quot. 1552 (with final element perhaps remodelled after -er suffix¹):1552 R. Huloet Abcedarium Anglico Latinum Mash of a nette, and masker, Idem. Masker of a nette, Hamus. mi, Macula. æ. The Middle English and modern English forms in this entry may represent survivals of unmetathesized Old English forms of the max type. In addition, Scandinavian speech habits may have influenced the form of the word in Middle English and early Scots, either reinforcing failure of Old English palatalization and assibilation or causing an independent sound substitution of /sk/ for /ʃ/ in Old English forms of the *mæsc type. Alternatively, it is possible that Middle English and early Scots forms show independent borrowing from early Scandinavian (compare Old Icelandic mǫskvi ); and even if they do not, the word's currency in modern English is likely to owe much to Scandinavian influence. Scots forms in -s show regular loss of final -k (compare mass n.³). Forms in -t are perhaps < forms in -s (compare mast n.³), although the form in quot. ?c1475 at sense 1 probably simply shows a transmission error.

Etymology: Northern variant of mash n.¹ Compare mask v.³

Etymology: < Middle French, French masque (1514 in sense 1; 1535 in sense 2; 1540 in sense 6a; mid 16th cent. denoting a masked entertainment, 1532 denoting a masked person: see masque n.) < Italian maschera (c1350), mascara (13th cent.; now regional) mask, further etymology uncertain: perhaps related to post-classical Latin masca evil spirit, spectre (643 in Edictus Rothari, glossing classical Latin striga ; 8th cent. in British sources), which is perhaps ultimately cognate with a group of Romance forms meaning ‘to smear, blacken’ (see mascaret n.), the connection of sense being the daubing of the face to disguise it. See also masque n. (originally the same word, but now largely differentiated in form); compare also masker n.¹ and probably also maskeler n. as earlier borrowings directly < Italian.The etymology given above is that presented by Französisches Etymol. Wörterbuch s.v. mask- (although it should perhaps be noted that some of the early examples of post-classical Latin masca presented there as showing the sense ‘mask’ are elsewhere interpreted perhaps more plausibly as showing simply ‘spectre’). By contrast, J. Corominas Diccionario Crítico Etimológico de la Lengua Castellana (1954) considers Italian maschera and post-classical Latin masca to be of different origins, the former being < Arabic masḵara , although subsequently influenced by masca and its descendants. Most of the senses of the English word are paralleled in French. Senses attested earlier in French, in addition to those mentioned above, include ‘woman's protective face mask to guard against sun or cold’ (1599; compare sense 3a) and death mask (1718; compare sense 5). Also < French are Dutch maske , German Maske , Swedish mask , Danish maske ; transmission into the Scandinavian languages is perhaps via German. In form masque at sense 4b probably remodelled after French masque (compare also of cosmetic preparations crème n. beside earlier cream n.² 2d.

Etymology: Shortened < masker v., probably after such pairings as gleam v.¹ beside glimmer v., sloom v.¹ beside slumber v. etc.; compare chat v.¹ < chatter v.

Etymology: < mask n.¹

Etymology: Variant of mash v.¹ Compare mask n.² Eng. Dial. Dict. s.v. records use in Scotland, Northumberland, Durham, Cumberland and Yorkshire. The lemma ceruidare in quot. 1483 at sense 1a is probably a transmission error for post-classical Latin cernidare to tap (beer) < cernida spigot.

Etymology: < mask n.³ Originally the same word as masque v., now usually distinguished in form in senses below. Compare Middle French, French masquer to disguise (as) with a mask (16th cent.). Compare slightly earlier masked adj.²