Etymology
1. O.E.
macian, from W.Gmc.
*makojanan (cf. O.S.
makon, O.Fris.
makia "to build, make," M.Du.
maken, O.H.G.
mahhon, Ger.
machen), from PIE
*mag- "to knead, mix, make" (see may). Sense evolution probably is via prehistoric houses built of mud. Gradually replaced the main O.E. word,
gewyrcan (see work). Meaning "to arrive at" (a place), first attested c.1624, originally was nautical. Formerly used in many places where specific verbs now are used, e.g.
to make Latin (c.1500) "to write Latin compositions." This broader usage survives in some phrases, e.g.
to make water "to urinate,"
to make a book "arrange a series of bets" (1828),
make hay "to turn over mown grass to expose it to sun."
Make do "manage with what is available" is attested from 1899.
Make out "get along" is first recorded 1609, sense of "understand" is from 1646, sexual sense first recorded 1939.
Make time "go fast" is 1887;
make tracks in this sense is from 1834.
Make the grade is 1912, perhaps from the notion of railway engines going up an incline. To
make up "end a quarrel, reconcile" is from 1669. Phrase
on the make "intent on profit or advancement" is from 1869. To
make a federal case out of (something) popularized in 1959 movie "Anatomy of a Murder;" to
make an offer (one) can't refuse is from Mario Puzo's 1969 novel "The Godfather." To
make (one's) day is from 1909; menacing
make my day is from 1971, popularized by Clint Eastwood in film "Sudden Impact" (1983).
2. 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.
3. Cognates
4. 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”). See: Old English '
macian', Scots '
mak', Frisian, Northern 'maage', Frisian, Saterlandic 'moakje', Alemannic German '
mache', Bavarian 'måcha', Cimbrian 'machan', German, old spelling '
machen', Luxembourgish '
maachen', Wymysorys '
mahha', Latin '
mācerō', Bulgarian '
ма́жа', Czech '
mazat', Polish '
mazać', Russian '
ма́зать', Ukrainian '
ма́зати', Hindi '
मचाना'.
Verbs referencing "make"
Danish
mage, German, old spelling
machen, Alemannic German
mache, German, Pennsylvania
mache, Luxembourgish
maachen, Tok Pisin mekim, Tok Pisin makim, Proto-Slavic
mazati.