An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Made

by Friedrich Kluge

Made, feminine, ‘maggot,’ from Middle High German made, masculine, ‘worm, maggot,’ Old High German mado; corresponding to Dutch made, Anglo-Saxon maþa, Gothic maþa, ‘maggot, worm.’ Hence the equivalent Old Icelandic maþkr, masculine (with a suffix), from which is derived Middle English maþek, English mawk, ‘maggot’; Gothic *maþaks (English maggot is probably not allied). The original sense of the Old Teutonic *maþan-, ‘maggot,’ is perhaps ‘gnawer’; it has been connected with the root mê, ‘to mow’; Motte (Middle High German and Modern High German variant matte) may also be akin.