Where does “muff” come from?
muff (Hungarian) comes from German muff, 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 — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.
muff (Hungarian): muff; vagina; woman
Ancestry of “muff”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | muff | singular imperative of muffen; first-person... |
| 2 | Dutch | mof | muff; Piece to protect pipes where they are... |
| 3 | Dutch | moffel | — |
| 4 | Middle French | moufle | — |
| 5 | Old French | mofle | thick glove |
| 6 | Medieval Latin | muffula | a muff; muff |
| 7 | Frankish | molfell | soft garment made of hide |
| 8 | Middle High German | mol | — |
| 9 | Old High German | mol | — |
| 10 | Proto-Germanic | mulô | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | molh₂-o- | — |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | melh₂- | to grind, to crush |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | mel- | soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | mey- | to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange |