matter مادّه mâddé (#) Fr.: matière Physical or corporeal substance in general, whether solid, liquid, or
gaseous, especially as distinguished from incorporeal substance, as spirit
or mind, or from qualities, actions, and the like.
Whatever has size and shape, is solid and tangible, takes up space.
Anything that contains mass. → material.
Etymology (EN): M.E. mater(e), materie, from O.Fr. mat(i)ere, materie,
from L. materia “substance from which something is made,”
also “hard inner wood of a tree,” from mater,
→ mother, PIE base *mater-, see below. Etymology (PE): Mâddé, variant mâyé “substance, essence; quantity, amount;”
Mid.Pers. mâtak/mâdak “substance, the essential element of anything; materials”
(Sogd. patmâδé “matter, substance”),
from mât, mâd “mother; substance” (see E. matter, as above),
from O.Pers./Av. mātar-
“mother;” cf. Ossetic mad/madae “mother;” Khotanese mâta “mother;”
Skt. mātár- “mother;” Gk. meter, mater; L. mater
(Fr. mère, Sp. madre);
O.E. môdor from P.Gmc. *mothær (O.S. modar, Dan. moder,
Du. moeder, Ger. Mutter); Lith. mote “wife.”
Note:
Ar. mâddat is borrowed from Mid.Pers. mâdak, as above, and Arabicized through
association with madda “to extend.” |
