Where does “musk duck” come from?
musk duck (English) comes from English musk, from Middle English muske, from Old French musc, from Latin mūscus, from Ancient Greek μόσχος, from Middle Persian mwšk', from Sanskrit मुष्क, from Sanskrit मूष् — mouse.
musk duck (English): "Biziura lobata", a highly aquatic, stiff-tailed...
Definitions
- "Biziura lobata", a highly aquatic, stiff-tailed...
Ancestry of “musk duck”, step by step
musk duck traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English musk
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | musk | A greasy secretion with a powerful odour,... |
| 2 | Middle English | muske | musk; A kind of plant juice |
| 3 | Old French | musc | — |
| 4 | Latin | mūscus | moss |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | μόσχος | young shoot or twig; leafstalk, petiole; calf,... |
| 6 | Middle Persian | mwšk' | musk |
| 7 | Sanskrit | मुष्क | testicle, scrotum |
| 8 | Sanskrit | मूष् | mouse; "stealer", "thief" |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | múh₂s | mouse |