mastyf
Middle English
Alternative forms
- mastif, masty, mastyff, mestyf, maystyf, mestif
Etymology
From Old French mastin (modern French mâtin), from Vulgar Latin *mansuetinus (“tamed (animal)”), from Latin mansuetus (“tamed”). The final -f is due to influence from Old French mestif; some forms have totally assimilated to that word.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /masˈtiːf/, /ˈmastif/
Noun
mastyf (plural mastyves or mastyfes)
- mastiff
Descendants
- English: mastiff
- Scots: mastiff
References
- “mastī̆f (n.)” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-03-12.