E 0567          MASK

The word " mask " is of Germanic origin .

H 0602           ה ך ס מ

Concept of root : mask

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

 ה כ ס מ

  ך ס מ

massékhà;

masakh

mask;

screen

Related English words

mask; screen

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ה כ ס מ

ך ס מ

massékhà; masakh

mask; screen

m . s . k

Late  Latin

masca, mascara

masca

witch

m . sc . r

Italian

maschera

maskera

mask

m . sc . r

French

masque

masq

mask

m . sq

English

mask

mask

m . s k

Middle Dutch

maschre , maschere

maschre,

maschere

mask

m . sch . r;

Dutch

masker

mask

m . sk . r

German

Maske

maske

mask

m . sk

Longobard

masca

masca

mask, witch,

net

m . sk

 

 

Proto-Semitic MASAK --- *MĂSK- Proto-Germanic

 

 

We find a striking similarity, but that might yet be fortuitous, not caused by a common origin of the Hebrew and European roots. This entry presents us with the problem of the European words "maschera" (Italian), "mascara" (Spanish and Portuguese) and "masker "(Dutch) that all mean "mask". The question is where the R came from. It has been tried to explain it as a loan from Arabic, effectuated during the Crusades, but the Arab word in question, "mascharat= practical joke" is a noun formed from the prefix "ma" + the verb "sachirà = to deride", and says basically "that what derides".

 

Well people with masks may deride somebody, but the fundamental sense of masks lies in hiding what is behind them and that must be found as expressed in the root. And the people who thought of this, forgot that the Late Latin words were known well before the Crusades. Anyhow, New Latin languages have formed words with an extension "–ra" in a few other cases. Examples are Catalan "platara < plat (plate)", Spanish "cascara (husk) < casco (crock, pot)" and Italian "tartaruga < tartuca (tortoise)".

 

So the answer becomes simple . From older Germanic without R we continue through Longobard, French , German , the Nordic tongues and English just like that . In Late Latin a second version is added, with an extra R , perhaps in order to accentuate the word or to better indicate a specific meaning ( theatrical ?). This R has been followed in Italian and Spanish and has been loaned into Middle Dutch . It has then remained in modern Dutch .

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic. We find already in Longobard the word "masca" with the same meaning as English "mask", but this is also used for "net" and "witch". It is hard to say if and to what extent these last meanings are related to "mask" or the roots of their words simply similar or even common with that of "mask". But the meaning "mask" is anyway there and Proto-Germanic may just have used a form "*M Ă SK-".

 

Note:
  • English "mask " comes from French " masque ", that is thought by many to come from Italian "maschera" . But "maschera" is just an extension of " masca " , that Italian scholars rightly see as derived by Late Latin from Germanic, possibly from Longobard "masca".

 

Note:
  • Hebrew in modern language uses this old word just as "mask". In the Bible it has also the noun " מ ס ך , masakh = screen, curtain, protection" and with a suffix " מ ס כ ה , mesukhà or massekhà = cover ". Regretfully a verb "M S K" is not found and therefore one might suppose that the nouns we mentioned might consist of a very old addition of a prefix M for "that which" and a root "* ס ך " meaning "to cover, veil".

     

    This same root is also considered as having given the word " ס כ ה , sukkà" , the hut made of foliage used at the celebration of "Sukkot". But such a root does not seem to exist either. There is also a view that these words are based on an existing "N S K = to pour" and with that also " to cast". So our word would specifically mean a cast metal mask. Were these common ? Anyhow, in this hypothesis the similarity is again accidental . Others link the words of this entry to a similar root N S K, but with the meaning of "weaving". Thus the masks of our entry would be woven masks and the similarity again just accidental. We rather stick to the hypothesis that the roots of the mentioned nouns are original three consonant roots, so common in Hebrew.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. It is quite possible that in Proto-Semitic existed a root "*מ ס ך, M S K", as found in the Hebrew verb with the meaning of " to screen, cover" .

     

    The pronunciation of the final consonant in all probability was still an original " K "; not changed into " KH " :

 

Note:
  • Middle Dutch. The first two words were especially used in the Flanders.

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 28/01/2013 at 16.03.41