mate etymology

Etymology

The word "mate" has several possible etymologies:

• From Spanish: "mate" originally comes from the Quechua language of the Inca Empire, where it referred to a type of calabash gourd used for drinking.
• From Portuguese: The Spanish word "mate" was borrowed into Portuguese, where it acquired the additional meaning of "companion" or "partner."
• From Old English: Some sources suggest that the English word "mate" may derive from the Old English "gemett," meaning "spouse" or "companion."

Meaning

The word "mate" can have several different meanings, depending on the context:

• Companion or partner: A person with whom one has a close relationship, especially in a romantic or sexual context.
• Spouse: A person to whom one is married.
• Associate or colleague: A person with whom one works or associates regularly.
• Teammate: A member of a sports team.
• Shipmate: A member of the crew of a ship.
• Botany: A plant that grows close to another plant or that is a close genetic relative of another plant.
• Checkmate: A situation in the game of chess where the king is threatened and cannot escape.

Origin

The origins of the word "mate" are complex and uncertain. The most likely explanation is that it derives from the Quechua word for the calabash gourd used for drinking, which was later borrowed into Spanish and Portuguese with the additional meaning of "companion." However, some scholars also suggest that the English word "mate" may have a separate origin in Old English.

mate relate terms

• checkmate

  Etymology The word checkmate is derived from the Persian phrase shāh māt شاه م

• checkmate

  Etymology The word checkmate is derived from the Persian phrase shāh māt شاه م

• meat

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• stalemate

  Etymology The word stalemate comes from two Middle English words stale meaning dea

• make

  Etymology The study of the origin and history of words Meaning Etymology is the branch

• comrade

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• Moll

  Etymology Moll is derived from the Old French word mosle meaning soft or tender

• match

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• holly

  Etymology Holly is derived from the Old English word holegn or hulm which means

• partner

  Etymology The word partner is derived from the Middle French word partenaire which i

• dire

  Dire Etymology Middle English from Old French dire from the Latin dicere to say to