μάζα

μάζα

See also: μᾶζα

Greek

Etymology

The form of the word continues Ancient Greek μᾶζα (mâza, “barley cake”), but the sense "mass" of the modern Greek word is semantic loan from French masse (18th century), derived from Latin massa (English mass, German Masse, etc.)[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈma.za/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: μά‧ζα

Noun

μάζα • (máza) f (plural μάζες)

1. mass (quantity of matter cohering together to make one body)

   ατομική μάζα ― atomikí máza ― atomic mass

   άμορφη μάζα ― ámorfi máza ― amorphous mass

2. (figuratively, usually in the plural) mass, throng, multitude (group of people crowded or gathered closely together)

   Οι μάζες κατέβηκαν στους δρόμους για να διαδηλώσουν.

   Oi mázes katévikan stous drómous gia na diadilósoun.

   The masses have taken to the streets to protest.

Declension

declension of μάζα

	singular	plural
nominative	μάζα •	μάζες •
genitive	μάζας •	μαζών •
accusative	μάζα •	μάζες •
vocative	μάζα •	μάζες •

Synonyms

• (mass, throng, multitude): πλήθος n (plíthos), όχλος n (óchlos)

Related terms

• αμάζωχτος (amázochtos, “not collected”) (colloquial)
• μαζί (mazí, “together”)
• μαζικός (mazikós, “mass”, adjective) (and derivatives)
• μάζωμα n (mázoma, “the collecting, gathering, picking”) (colloquial. See derivatives)
• μαζώνω (mazóno, “collect, gather”) (colloquial)
• μάζωξη f (mázoxi, “gathering of people”) (informal)
• μαζωχτός (mazochtós, “collected”) (colloquial)

Semantically related (associated by false etymology):

• μαζεύω (mazévo, “collect, gather”)
• μάζεμα n (mázema, “the collecting, gathering, picking”)

References

1. μάζα in Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], 1998, by the "Triantafyllidis" Foundation.