In order to know the meaning of the term massif, we are going to discover, first of all, its etymological origin. In this case, we can emphasize that it is a word that derives from Latin, exactly from "massa." This word, in turn, emanates from the Greek word "maza", which can be translated as "piling up".
The concept of massif has several uses. The term can be used as an adjective to describe that which is solid or consistent and does not present gaps .
For example: "The victim was attacked with a solid object that investigators are trying to identify" , "The young man climbed onto a solid rock in order to see better" , "I want to buy a solid wood table that is resistant" .
In the same way, in addition to those already mentioned, we can expose the existence of other synonyms of massif. These include compact, firm, tight, strong or even sturdy . On the contrary, among its antonyms we find terms such as weak or even hollow.
Regarding a human being , the adjective "massive" refers to consistent musculature or a robust build : "The team needs a solid center who is strong under the basket," "A solid boy appeared out of nowhere and rescued the inhabitants of the house that was on fire» , «The suspect is a tall and solid man of about 40 years of age» .
Likewise, it must be taken into account that solid is popularly used to refer to someone who is very handsome and attractive as well as having a toned and muscular body. So, for example, you can say: "Eva has fallen in love with the hunk who is having a drink at the bar."
As a noun, the idea of a massif refers to an elevation of the terrain . The notion is usually used to name a range of mountains .
The Huascarán massif , to cite one case, is part of the Cordillera Blanca , in the Peruvian Andes . It is located in the Áncash region and has the highest peak in the country with 6,768 meters above sea level.
In the south-central area of France , on the other hand, is the Massif Central . The Puy de Sancy and the Plomb du Cantal are its highest mountains, each with summits more than 1,850 meters high.
Furthermore, we cannot ignore that in Spain the so-called Galaico-Leonese Massif is very important, which, as its name indicates, is located between Galicia and Castilla y León.
Granites, slates, gneiss or micacites are significant elements of this system of mountains and mountain ranges. The average altitude of this is 500 meters and it is made up of three subsystems: the Orensano Central Massif, the mountain ranges bordering León and Zamora as well as the so-called Galician Dorsal. In the latter are the Faladoira mountain range and the Bocelo mountains, for example.
Nepal , finally, also has important massifs. The Annapurna massif , located in the Himalayas , has an altitude that exceeds 8,000 meters .