Where does “muffler” come from?
Muffler comes from Middle English via Old French -er suffix applied to Frankish molfell, itself from Frankish mol combined with a suffix, ultimately deriving through Latin -arius and -are formations.
muffler (English): Part of the exhaust pipe of a car that dampens...
Definitions
- Part of the exhaust pipe of a car that dampens...
Ancestry of “muffler”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | muffle | Anything that mutes or deadens sound; A warm... |
| 2 | Middle English | muflen | to muffle |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | amoufler | — |
| 4 | Old French | enmoufler | to wrap up, muffle |
| 5 | Old French | moufle | mitten |
| 6 | Medieval Latin | muffula | a muff; muff |
| 7 | Frankish | molfell | soft garment made of hide |
| 8 | Middle High German | mol | — |
| 9 | Old High German | mol | — |
| 10 | Proto-Germanic | mulô | muzzle |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | molh₂-o- | — |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | melh₂- | to grind, to crush |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | mel- | soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | mey- | to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange |