From Middle Englishmawk, mauk, a contraction of mathek, from Old Norsemaðkr(“maggot”), a diminutive of a base from Proto-Germanic*maþô(“worm”) (Old English maþa), from Indo-European *math-, moth- used in reference to insects and vermin. Cognate with Danish madike, Swedish mask, archaic English maddock (modern maggot).