An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Maßholder

by Friedrich Kluge

Maßholder, m., ‘maple,’ from MidHG. maȥalter, maȥolter, m., OHG. maȥȥaltra, maȥȥoltra, f., ‘maple’; the ModHG. form is due to its connection with Holunder (older variant Holder). The OHG. maȥȥoltra is like affoltra, ‘apple tree,’ from apfol, a derivative of a primary Goth. *matls. AS. mapuldr, E. maple tree, with the recorded base mapol, E. maple, has, instead of the HG. dental, an abnormal labial, presupposing Goth. *mapls; so too OIc. mǫpurr, m., ‘maple.’ On account of OHG. maȥȥaltra (ȥȥ for Goth. t), Maßholder cannot be connected with Maser (s equiv. to Goth. s); nor does it belong to OHG. maȥ, n., ‘food,’ Ahorn as ‘food tree’ being improbable, although maple-juice is used as a medicinal draught. Goth. *matla-, or rather *mapla-, is of obscure origin. Comp. also Ahorn, where an earlier term is given. The ModHG. form Maßeller is, like Maßholder, a corruption of the MidHG. word. With regard to the OHG. suffix -tra, comp. Apfel, Wacholder, and Holunder.