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Etymology data from Wiktionary via Wiktextract (CC BY-SA 4.0). Chinese character data from the 說文解字, the Taiwan MOE 國語辭典簡編本 (CC BY-ND 3.0 TW) and HSK/TOCFL lists.

Explanations are written by a local model (gemma4) and only published after a verification pass against the cited sources. How it works.

English

make

/meɪk/
To build, construct, produce, or originate.

    Etymology graph

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    • borrowed
    • derived
    • parts
    • meaning component
    • sound component
    • related
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    Origin

    Etymology 1

    From Middle English macen, machiæ, macian, macke, mak, make, maken, makiȝe, from Old English macian (“to build, make, work”), from Proto-West Germanic *makōn (“to build, make, work”), from *mak (“agreeable, comfortable, fit, suitable”), from Proto-Germanic *makaz (“agreeable, comfortable, fit, suitable”), from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂ǵ-, *meh₂ḱ- (“to knead”) or *meg- (“to be comfortable, pleasant”). Related to match.

    Cognates

    Cognate with Scots mak (“to make”), Yola maak, maake (“to make”), North Frisian maage, maaki, mååge (“to make”), Saterland Frisian moakje (“to make; to repair; to prepare; to preach; to earn”), West Frisian meitsje (“to make”), Alemannic German mache (“to make; to do”), Bavarian måcha, måchn (“to make; to do; to go; to cause; to play; to matter; to look”), Cimbrian machan (“to make”), Dutch and Low German maken (“to make”), German machen (“to make; to do; to go; to cause; to play; to fare; to look”), Luxembourgish maachen, man (“to make; to do; to take; to equal; to put”), Mòcheno mòchen (“to make”), Vilamovian mahha (“to make; to do”), Yiddish מאַכן (makhn, “to create, make; to do; to say”); also probably Irish mám (“yoke; duty, obligation; function, service”), Latin mācerō (“to soften; to weaken; to mortify; to torture”), Ancient Greek μάσσω (mássō, “to handle, knead; to wipe”), Bulgarian ма́жа (máža, “to smear; to oil”), Czech mazat (“to lubricate; to spread; to smear; to scribble; to erase”), Polish mazać (“to smear; to scribble; to pule, whimper”), Russian ма́зать (mázatʹ, “to oil; to paint; to smear; to soil; to miss”), Serbo-Croatian ма̏зати, mȁzati (“to smear; to dirty”), Ukrainian ма́зати (mázaty, “to smear”), Old Armenian մած (mac, “glued together, joined; coagulated, curdled; adhesive, sticking; compact; dense”), Hindi मचाना (macānā, “to cause, raise, wreak”).

    Etymology 2

    From Middle English make, imake, ȝemace, from Old English ġemaca (“a mate, an equal, companion, peer”), from Proto-West Germanic *gamakō, from Proto-Germanic *gamakô (“companion, comrade”), from Proto-Indo-European *maǵ- (“to knead, oil”). Reinforced by Old Norse maki (“an equal”).

    Cognate with Icelandic maki (“spouse”), Swedish make (“spouse, husband”), Danish mage (“companion, fellow, mate”). Doublet of match.

    Etymology 3

    Uncertain.

    Etymology 4

    Origin unclear.

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • derivedMiddle Englishmacen
      • derivedOld Englishmacian “to build, make, work”
        • derivedProto-West Germanic*makōn “to build, make, work”
          • derivedProto-Germanic*makaz “agreeable, comfortable, fit, suitable”
            • derivedProto-Indo-European*meh₂ǵ-
    • inheritedMiddle Englishmake
      • inheritedOld Englishġemaca “a mate, an equal, companion, peer”
        • inheritedProto-West Germanic*gamakō
          • inheritedProto-Germanic*gamakô “companion, comrade”
            • derivedProto-Indo-European*maǵ- “to oil, knead”

    Related: English match (doublet), Scots mak, Yola maak, North Frisian maage, Saterland Frisian moakje, West Frisian meitsje, Alemannic German mache, Bavarian måcha, Cimbrian machan, nl,nds maken, German machen, Luxembourgish maachen, Mòcheno mòchen, Vilamovian mahha, Yiddish מאַכן, Irish mám, Latin mācerō, Ancient Greek μάσσω, Bulgarian ма́жа, Czech mazat, Polish mazać, Russian ма́зать, Serbo-Croatian ма̏зати, Ukrainian ма́зати

    Words built on it: on the make, make me, make-work, put the make on, make friends

    Meanings

    verb
    1. To build, construct, produce, or originate.
    2. To write or compose.
    3. To bring about; to effect or produce by means of some action.
    4. To create (the universe), especially (in Christianity) from nothing.
    5. To prepare (food); to cook (food).
    6. To behave, to act.
    noun
    1. Brand; marque; manufacturer; maker.
    2. Manner or style of construction (style of how a thing is made).
    3. Origin (of a manufactured article); manufacture; production.
    4. A person's character or disposition.
    5. The act or process of making something, especially in industrial manufacturing.
    6. Quantity produced, especially of materials.

    Sources

    • Wiktionary (via Wiktextract / kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
    • Wiktionary: make