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

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of mous

Ancestry of “mouse”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishmousmouse or shrew; A coward; one lacking courage; A...
2Old Englishmūsmouse
3Proto-West Germanicmūsmouse
4Proto-Germanicmūsmouse
5Proto-Indo-Europeanmúh₂smouse
Every word from Proto-Indo-European múh₂s →Every word from Proto-Germanic mūs →Every word from Proto-West Germanic mūs →