misa
/ˈmisa/
noun
Origin
Latin
mittere — to send
Overview
Meaning Now
- The liturgy or celebration of the Eucharist in the Catholic Church.
- A musical setting of the parts of the Eucharistic liturgy.
Literal older meaning
sent / sending
Language path
Latin → Spanish
Earliest form
missa
Earliest period
4th century
Journey
The term originates from the concluding phrase of the Roman Rite, 'Ite, missa est', meaning 'Go, it is the dismissal'. Over time, the word 'missa' transitioned from referring specifically to the dismissal to designating the entire Eucharistic ceremony.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*mey-
“to move, go, or send”
- Latin
missa
“dismissal; the sending away of the congregation”
Derived from the feminine past participle of 'mittere'
- Old Spanish
misa
“Mass”
Connections
Word parts
miss-
root
send
-a
ending
feminine singular marker
Related across languages
Italian
messa
Mass
French
messe
Mass
English
Mass
Mass
Explore next
Related to misa
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.