Where does “mouse” come from?
mouse (Middle English) comes from Middle English mous, from Old English mūs, from Proto-West Germanic mūs, from Proto-Germanic mūs, from Proto-Indo-European múh₂s — mouse.
mouse (Middle English): Alternative form of mous
Ancestry of “mouse”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | mous | mouse or shrew; A coward; one lacking courage; A... |
| 2 | Old English | mūs | mouse |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | mūs | mouse |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | mūs | mouse |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | múh₂s | mouse |