Where does “must” come from?
must (Middle English) comes from Old French must, from Latin mustum, from Latin mustus, from Proto-Indo-European mūs- — fly, stinging fly, gnat; moist, damp; swamp,...
must (Middle English): must wine that is not fully fermented
Definitions
- must wine that is not fully fermented
Ancestry of “must”, step by step
must traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French must
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | must | — |
| 2 | Latin | mustum | must; unfermented or partially fermented grape... |
| 3 | Latin | mustus | fresh, young; unfermented |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | mūs- | fly, stinging fly, gnat; moist, damp; swamp,... |
via Old English must
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | must | must newly or partially fermented wine |