Where does “muff” come from?
muff (German) comes from Dutch mof, from Dutch moffel, from Middle French moufle, from Old French mofle, from Medieval Latin muffula, from Frankish molfell, from Middle High German mol, from Old High German mol — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.
muff (German): singular imperative of muffen; first-person...
Definitions
- singular imperative of muffen; first-person...
Ancestry of “muff”, step by step
muff traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Dutch mof
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | mof | muff; Piece to protect pipes where they are... |
| 2 | Dutch | moffel | — |
| 3 | Middle French | moufle | — |
| 4 | Old French | mofle | thick glove |
| 5 | Medieval Latin | muffula | a muff; muff |
| 6 | Frankish | molfell | soft garment made of hide |
| 7 | Middle High German | mol | — |
| 8 | Old High German | mol | — |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | mulô | muzzle |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | molh₂-o- | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | melh₂- | to grind, to crush |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | mel- | soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | mey- | to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange |
via German Muffel
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Muffel | muffle; mouflon |
| 2 | German | müffeln | to have a moldy smell; to stink |
| 3 | German | moppen | to mop |
| 4 | German | -en | A suffix of verbs in their infinitive form; A... |
| 5 | Middle High German | -en | — |
| 6 | Old High German | -īn | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | -īnaz | -en |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |