Where does “nutmegger” come from?
nutmegger (English) comes from English nutmeg, from Middle English notemege, from Medieval Latin nux muga, from Medieval Latin nux muscata, from Classical Latin muscus, from Ancient Greek μόσχος, from Middle Persian mwšk', from Sanskrit मुष्क — mouse.
nutmegger (English): One who nutmegs
Ancestry of “nutmegger”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | nutmeg | An evergreen tree cultivated in the East Indies... |
| 2 | Middle English | notemege | — |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | nux muga | — |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | nux muscata | musky nut |
| 5 | Classical Latin | muscus | — |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | μόσχος | young shoot or twig; leafstalk, petiole; calf,... |
| 7 | Middle Persian | mwšk' | musk |
| 8 | Sanskrit | मुष्क | testicle, scrotum |
| 9 | Sanskrit | मूष् | mouse; "stealer", "thief" |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | múh₂s | mouse |