An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Messer

by Friedrich Kluge

Messer, neuter, from the equivalent Middle High German męȥȥer, ‘knife.’ The word has undergone strange transformations; it is an abbreviation of męȥȥeres, Old High German męȥȥiras, męȥȥirahs, neuter, the etymology of which had grown obscure; the variants maȥ-sahs, męȥȥi-sahs, show, however, that męȥȥirahs is a compound meaning ‘food-sword.’ With regard to Gothic mats, neuter, Old High German maȥ, neuter, Anglo-Saxon męte, masculine, English meat, compare Mus and Mettwurst. Old High German sahs, Anglo-Saxon seax, neuter, ‘sword, knife,’ whence the name Saxons, is usually connected with Latin saxum, because knives were originally made of stone. The Old High German compound męȥȥi-rahs shows the change of medial s (z) to r. Gothic *matisahs is also indicated by Old Saxon męzas for *mętsahs, Dutch and Low German mes, Anglo-Saxon męte-seax, ‘food-knife, dagger.’