Английский Этимологический словарь - matte (adj.)

- 1648, from Fr. mat "dull, dead surface," from O.Fr. mat "beaten down, withered," probably from L. mattus "maudlin with drink," from madere "to be wet or sodden, be drunk." Related to matador and the mate in checkmate via notion of "dead." Noun sense "backing for a picture" is an 1845 borrowing from Fr.