Where does “mussel” come from?
Mussel comes from Latin musculus, diminutive of mūs meaning mouse, from Proto-Indo-European muh₂s, reflecting the muscle-like appearance of the shellfish.
mussel (English): Any of several groups of bivalve shellfish with...
Definitions
- Any of several groups of bivalve shellfish with...
Ancestry of “mussel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | muscle | mussel bivalve |
| 2 | Old English | muscle | mussel |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | *muskulā | — |
| 4 | Latin | muscula | Diminutive of musca |
| 5 | Latin | mūsculus | a small mouse |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | μῦς | mouse; A type of mussel; A type of whale |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | *mū́s | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | múHs | mouse |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | múh₂s | mouse |