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