Where does “mouchen” come from?

mouchen (Middle English) comes from Old French muchier, from Frankish mukjan, from Proto-Germanic mūk-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)mūg- — swindler, thief; to rob, steal.

mouchen (Middle English): to pretend poverty

Definitions

  1. to pretend poverty

Ancestry of “mouchen”, step by step

mouchen traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Old French muchier

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchmuchier
2Frankishmukjanto hide, conceal oneself
3Proto-Germanicmūk-to lie in ambush; skulk; hide; waylay; to steal;...
4Proto-Indo-European(s)mūg-swindler, thief; to rob, steal

via Old French mucer

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchmucerto hide; to skulk, hide, conceal
2Frankishmukōnto hide, skulk

via Old French mucier

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchmucier
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)mūg-Every word from Proto-Germanic mūk-Every word from Frankish mukjan