An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Mast

by Friedrich Kluge

Mast (1.), masculine (probably quite unknown to Suabian and Bavarian), ‘mast,’ from Middle High German and Old High German mast, masculine, ‘pole, flagstaff, spear-shaft,’ especially ‘ship's mast, tree fit for a mast’; compare Low German and Dutch mast, Anglo-Saxon mœst, masculine English mast, Old Icelandic mastr, ‘mast.’ Gothic *masta-, masculine, ‘mast, pole,’ is wanting. According to the permutation of consonants, the latter is based on pre-Teutonic mazdo- (compare Ast, Gerste, and Nest); did Latin mâlus for *mâdus originate in this? (also Irish matan, ‘club,’ maite, ‘stick’?). Similarly Fisch (piscis) and Meer (mare) are primitively allied.

Mast (2), ‘mast (for fattening),’ from Middle High German and Middle Low German mast, masculine, feminine, and neuter, ‘food, acorns, fattening,’ Old High German mast; compare Anglo-Saxon mœst, feminine, English mast. Gothic *masta is derived, according to the permutation of consonants, from a primitive form mazdo-, to which Sanscrit mêdas, neuter, ‘fat,’ mêdáy, ‘to fatten,’ also points. The Modern High German verbal noun mästen comes from Middle High German and Old High German męsten; Dutch mesten, Anglo-Saxon mœstan, ‘to fatten’; to this is allied the Modern High German adjective participle mast, Old High German mast, Anglo-Saxon gemœst, ‘fat, fattened.’ In Middle High German gemast, gemęstet.