Where does “musophobia” come from?

musophobia (English) comes from Latin mūs, from Proto-Italic mūs, from Proto-Indo-European múh₂s — mouse.

musophobia (English): fear of mice

Definitions

  1. fear of mice

Ancestry of “musophobia”, step by step

musophobia traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Latin mūs

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinmūsa mouse; a rat (the European black rat (Rattus rattus))
2Proto-Italicmūsmouse
3Proto-Indo-Europeanmúh₂smouse

via English Phobia

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishPhobiaAn irrational, abnormal, or obsessive fear (of something)
2Ancient GreekΦόβοςmythological personification of fear
3Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰegʷ-to flee; to run
Every word from Proto-Indo-European múh₂s →Every word from Proto-Italic mūs →Every word from Latin mūs →