Where does “muffle” come from?
Muffle comes from Middle English muflen, from Anglo-Norman amoufler, from Old French enmoufler, from Old French moufle, from Medieval Latin muffula, from Frankish molfell, from Frankish mol, from Proto-Germanic fellą.
muffle (English): Anything that mutes or deadens sound; A warm...
Definitions
- Anything that mutes or deadens sound; A warm...
Ancestry of “muffle”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | muflen | to muffle |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | amoufler | — |
| 3 | Old French | enmoufler | to wrap up, muffle |
| 4 | Old French | moufle | mitten |
| 5 | Medieval Latin | muffula | a muff; muff |
| 6 | Frankish | molfell | soft garment made of hide |
| 7 | Middle High German | mol | — |
| 8 | Old High German | mol | — |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | mulô | muzzle |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | molh₂-o- | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | melh₂- | to grind, to crush |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | mel- | soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | mey- | to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange |