Wiktionary

massif

See also: mâssif

English

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Etymology

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Borrowed from French massif, from Middle French massif, ultimately from Latin massa, from Ancient Greek μᾶζα (mâza, “barley-cake, lump (of dough)”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

massif (plural massifs)

  1. A principal mountain mass.
  2. A block of the earth's crust bounded by faults or flexures and displaced as a unit without internal change; normally consists of gneisses and schists
    • 2011, John Jeremiah Sullivan, Pulphead:
      The southern borders of these states are keyed to the same horizontal projection, one surveyed by the frontier planter William Byrd in 1728, while the rivers forming their northern extents fall back just opposite each other from the flanks of the Appalachian massif.
    • 1921, Max Roesler, The Iron-ore Resources of Europe‎[1], page 68:
      Some deposits of iron ore are scattered along the edges of the massif in south - central France.
    • 1891, Carl Diener, “Reviews and Notices”, in The Alpine Journal‎[2], volume 15, page 564:
      The southern portion of the zone from the Maritime Alps to the Pelvoux massif is complicated by the movements which have accompanied the formation of the mountains of Provence.

Translations

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French

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Etymology

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Inherited from Old French massiz (with the suffix replaced by -if), from Vulgar Latin *massīcius, from Latin massa.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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massif m (plural massifs)

  1. massif

Derived terms

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Adjective

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massif (feminine massive, masculine plural massifs, feminine plural massives)

  1. massive

Derived terms

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References

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Middle English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Middle French massif; equivalent to mass +‎ -if.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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massif

  1. (Late Middle English) weighty, massy, weighing very much.
  2. (Late Middle English, rare) massive, huge, enormous.
  3. (Late Middle English, rare) not sharp, unsharpened, coarse.
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Descendants

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  • English: massive
  • Scots: massive (obsolete)

References

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