Where does “mooch” come from?

mooch (English) comes from Middle English moochen, from Old French muchier, from Frankish mukjan, from Proto-Germanic mūk-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)mūg- — swindler, thief; to rob, steal.

mooch (English): To wander around aimlessly, often causing...

Definitions

  1. To wander around aimlessly, often causing...

Ancestry of “mooch”, step by step

mooch traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English moochen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishmoochen—
2Old Frenchmuchier—
3Frankishmukjanto hide, conceal oneself
4Proto-Germanicmūk-to lie in ambush; skulk; hide; waylay; to steal;...
5Proto-Indo-European(s)mūg-swindler, thief; to rob, steal

via Middle High German müede

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanmüede—
2Old High Germanmuoditired
3Proto-West Germanic*mōþītired
4Proto-Germanicmōþijaz—
5Proto-Germanicmōþaz—

Words derived from “mooch”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)mūg- →Every word from Proto-Germanic mūk- →Every word from Frankish mukjan →
mooch — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer