much: [13] The Old English word for ‘much’ was mycel (a relative of Old Norse mikill, from which English got the now archaic mickle [13]). It goes back ultimately to the same Indo-European base as produced Latin magis ‘more’ (source of English master) and magnus ‘large’ (source of English magnitude) and Greek mégas ‘large’ (source of the English prefix mega-). Mycel became early Middle English muchel, which began to lose its second syllable in the 13th century. => magnitude, master, more
much (adj.)
c. 1200, worn down by loss of unaccented last syllable from Middle English muchel "large, much," from Old English micel "great in amount or extent," from Proto-Germanic *mekilaz, from PIE *meg- "great" (see mickle). As a noun and an adverb, from c. 1200. For vowel evolution, see bury.
例文
1. Mrs Allen 's style of cooking owes much to her mother-in-law.
エレン夫人の料理スタイルは姑に大きく受け継がれている。
2.He does deserve some good luck after so much wretchedness.
これだけの苦難を経て、彼は幸運に恵まれたはずだ。
3.He arrived on January 9，disheveled and much the worse for wear.
彼は1月9日に到着した、ボサボサで汚れていて、疲れ果てている。
4.Well，so much for the producers.But what of the con-sumers？
いいでしょう、メーカーについてはこれだけ言いますが、消費者については？
5.Basal metabolism is much lower for creatures in cold water.