supermassive (English)
Where does "supermassive" come from?
The English adjective 'supermassive' is a modern formation built from the combining elements 'super-' and 'massive'[1]. The prefix 'super-' traces back through Middle English and Latin from the Latin word 'super' meaning 'above'[2]. The base word 'massive' derives from Middle English 'massif', which was borrowed from Middle French[3][4].
Open questions
- The Irish sense of massive has a possibly derived origin from the Irish word mas meaning fine or handsome. [3]
Full etymology tree
- supermassive (English), 'Extremely massive; of extraordinary mass.'
- prefix super- (English), 'a more inclusive category'
- derived massive (English), 'Very large in size or extent.'
- inherited massif (Middle English), 'weighty, massy, weighing very much.'
- borrowed massif (Middle French)
- inherited massif (Middle English), 'weighty, massy, weighing very much.'
Ancestors
- super (English)
- massive (English)
Descendants and derived words
- supermassive black hole (English)
Sources
- supermassive (English) - Wiktionary
- super (English) - Wiktionary
- massive (English) - Wiktionary
- massif (Middle English) - Wiktionary
Updated October 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris