Where does “muck” come from?
Muck comes from Middle English mok, from Old English moc, of uncertain origin and meaning.
muck (English): mud, sludge; Soft manure; Anything filthy or...
Definitions
- mud, sludge; Soft manure; Anything filthy or...
Ancestry of “muck”, step by step
muck traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Scottish Gaelic muc
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scottish Gaelic | muc | pig; sow |
| 2 | Old Irish | mucc | pig, sow |
| 3 | Persian | موش | mouse; rat |
| 4 | Middle Persian | mwšk' | musk |
| 5 | Sanskrit | मुष्क | testicle, scrotum |
| 6 | Sanskrit | मूष् | mouse; "stealer", "thief" |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | múh₂s | mouse |
via German Mücke
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Mücke | mosquito; insect of the order Nematocera, that is... |
| 2 | Old High German | mucka | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | muggjā | small fly, midge, mosquito |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | mugjǭ | a small fly; midge; mosquito |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | mują | fly |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | mū- | fly, mosquito; fly, midge; lips, muzzle |