Where does “nutmeg” come from?
Nutmeg comes from Middle English notemege, from Medieval Latin nux muga, from Medieval Latin nux muscata.
nutmeg (English): An evergreen tree cultivated in the East Indies...
Definitions
- An evergreen tree cultivated in the East Indies...
Ancestry of “nutmeg”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | notemege | — |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | nux muga | — |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | nux muscata | musky nut |
| 4 | Classical Latin | muscus | — |
| 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 |