An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Maßholder

by Friedrich Kluge

Maßholder, masculine, ‘maple,’ from Middle High German maȥalter, maȥolter, masculine, Old High German maȥȥaltra, maȥȥoltra, feminine, ‘maple’; the Modern High German form is due to its connection with Holunder (older variant Holder). The Old High German maȥȥoltra is like affoltra, ‘apple tree,’ from apfol, a derivative of a primary Gothic *matls. Anglo-Saxon mapuldr, English maple tree, with the recorded base mapol, English maple, has, instead of the High German dental, an abnormal labial, presupposing Gothic *mapls; so too Old Icelandic mǫpurr, masculine, ‘maple.’ On account of Old High German maȥȥaltra (ȥȥ for Gothic t), Maßholder cannot be connected with Maser (s equivalent to Gothic s); nor does it belong to Old High German maȥ, neuter, ‘food,’ Ahorn as ‘food tree’ being improbable, although maple-juice is used as a medicinal draught. Gothic *matla-, or rather *mapla-, is of obscure origin. Compare also Ahorn, where an earlier term is given. The Modern High German form Maßeller is, like Maßholder, a corruption of the Middle High German word. With regard to the Old High German suffix -tra, compare Apfel, Wacholder, and Holunder.