Etymology Dictionary

MAGGOT,  a grub, worm.  (W.)   M.E. magot, magat (with one g), given as a variant of 'make, mathe, wyrm in the fleshe;' Prompt. Parv. p. 321.   Spelt maked in Wright's Vocab. i. 255, col. 1, to translate Lat. tarinus [misprint for tarmus] or simax [= Lat. cimex.]—W. macai, maceiad, a maggot; cf. magiaid, worms, grubs.   The latter form is clearly connected with magiad, breeding, rearing, magad, a brood; from magu, to breed, cognate with Bret. maga, Corn. maga, to feed, nourish.   Thus a maggot is 'a thing bred.'   β. Perhaps W. magu is connected with Lat. magnus, Gk. μέγας, great, from the notion of 'growth;' see May (1).   ¶ This word maggot is quite distinct from M.E. make, cited above; the latter is more commonly written mawk, as in Wright's Vocab. i. 190, col. 1; and is still in use in prov. E.   Mawk is a contraction from maðek, O. Eng. Homilies, ed. Morris, i. 326; from Icel. maðkr, a maggot; see Mawkish.   Cf. Dan. maddik, madike, a maggot.   Icel. mað-kr, Dan. mad-ike, are merely diminutives of the word which appears in E. as moth; see Moth.   (Fick, iii. 224.)   Der. maggot-y.