An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Messing

by Friedrich Kluge

Messing, neuter, from the equivalent Middle High German męssinc (genitive -ges), masculine, ‘brass, latten’; a derivative of Masse, Old High German massa (from Latin massa?), ‘sow-metal’; Anglo-Saxon mœstling (with a suffix), ‘brass’ (whence English maslin?), is also derived from the same source; see too Old Icelandic messing, feminine, ‘brass.’ Contrary to this prevalent opinion, we have to observe that the derivative is more widely diffused than the primitively word, and it is inconceivable that the word was derived independently in the various languages; hence these cognates cannot be associated with Latin massa unless a derived word can be adduced as the base of the Teutonic words.