Where does “muscle” come from?
muscle (Middle English) comes from Old English muscle, from Proto-Germanic *muskulā, from Latin muscula, from Latin mūsculus, from Ancient Greek μῦς, from Proto-Hellenic *mū́s, from Proto-Indo-Iranian múHs, from Proto-Indo-European múh₂s — mouse.
muscle (Middle English): mussel bivalve
Definitions
- mussel bivalve
Ancestry of “muscle”, step by step
muscle traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old English muscle
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | muscle | mussel |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | *muskulā | — |
| 3 | Latin | muscula | Diminutive of musca |
| 4 | Latin | mūsculus | a small mouse |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | μῦς | mouse; A type of mussel; A type of whale |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | *mū́s | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | múHs | mouse |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | múh₂s | mouse |
via Middle French muscle
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | muscle | muscle |