English
mascot
Mascot comes from Occitan mascòta ‘sortilege’, from masca ‘witch’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mesg- ‘to dip, sink’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mesg-‘to dip, sink’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*maskwǭ‘mesh, netting’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*maskā‘mesh’reconstructed
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500masca‘specter, nightmare’
- Old Occitanc. 950–1500same form
- Occitanc. 1500–presentsame form‘witch’
- Occitan, derivedc. 1500–presentmascòta‘sortilege’feminine diminutive of masca
- Frenchc. 1600–presentmascotte
- Englishearliest quotation 1908mascot
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mesg-‘to dip, sink’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*maskwǭ‘mesh, netting’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*maskā‘mesh’reconstructed
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500masca‘specter, nightmare’
- Old Occitanc. 950–1500same form
- Occitanc. 1500–presentsame form‘witch’
- Occitan, derivedc. 1500–presentmascòta‘sortilege’feminine diminutive of masca
- Frenchc. 1600–presentmascotte
- Englishearliest quotation 1908mascot
Earliest quotation: 1908, The Mount Holyoke: “The seniors were “mascoted” by two little girls dressed…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *mesg- ‘to dip, sink’
emergency, emerge, merge, immersion, immerse, 4 more
through Proto-West Germanic *maskā ‘mesh’
through Medieval Latin masca ‘specter, nightmare’
Today it means
noun Something thought to bring good luck.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *mesg- / mascot