|
![]() |
Look up ma in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
MA or Ma may refer to:
![]() |
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. |
The Maß (pronounced [ˈmaːs]) or Mass (pronounced [ˈmas]) is the Bavarian language word describing the amount of beer in a regulation mug, in modern times exactly 1 litre (33.8 US fl oz).
Maß is often used as an abbreviation for the handled drinking vessel containing it, a Maßkrug. Ubiquitous in Bavarian beer gardens and beer halls and a staple of Oktoberfest it is often acceptably referred to as a beer mug by English speakers but may only be a beer stein if made of stoneware and capable of holding a regulation Maß of beer.
The word "Maß" can be of either neuter or female grammatical gender. In its neuter form, das Maß, it is the German word for "measure". Its feminine version, "die Maß", is used in southern Germany and Austria to refer to a one litre glass beer mug or its contents. It is spelt "Maß" or "Mass" (both spellings are allowed) in Germany and Austria, "Mass" in Switzerland. The plural is Maßkrüge.
A stoneware mug is a form of beer stein, another type of vessel which may only be referred to as a Maß if capable of holding a regulation quantity of beer.
The cuneiform ma sign, is found in both the 14th century BC Amarna letters and the Epic of Gilgamesh. In the Epic it is also used as the sumerogram MA, (for Akkadian language "mina", manû, a weight measure, as MA.NA, or MA.NA.ÀM). The ma sign is often used at the end of words, besides its alphabetic usage inside words as syllabic ma, elsewhere for m, or a.
The usage of cuneiform ma in the Epic of Gilgamesh, is only exceeded by the usage of a (cuneiform) (1369 times, and 58, A (sumerogram), versus 1047 times for ma, 6 for MA (sumerogram)). The high usage for a is partially a result of the prepositional use for a-na-(Akkadian "ana", to, for, etc.); "i", also has an increased prepositional use of i (cuneiform), for Akkadian ina, (i-na), for in, into, etc.