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Where does the word "papier-mache" come from? It comes from Late Latin masticare, passing through Old French and French before entering English (1753).
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Where does the word "papier-mache" come from? It comes from Late Latin masticare, passing through Old French and French before entering English (1753).
Papier-mache’s story begins in Late Latin: masticare meant “to chew.” The verb of chewing. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as macher. Kept the sense of chewing. From there it passed into French as papier mache by 1750s. Literally 'chewed paper', describing paper pulped into a moldable paste. It reached English by 1753 as papier-mache. Adopted whole for the craft material and its manufacturing process. Today, papier-mache means a material made from paper pulp, used for molding into objects.
- Stage 1 · Late Latin · ancient masticare "to chew", the verb of chewing.
- Stage 2 · Old French · medieval macher "to chew", kept the sense of chewing.
- Stage 3 · French · 1750s papier mache "chewed paper; paper pulp", literally 'chewed paper', describing paper pulped into a moldable paste.
- Stage 4 · English · 1753 papier-mache "a molded paper-pulp material", adopted whole for the craft material and its manufacturing process.