Where does “muff” come from?
muff (Swedish) comes from German muffe, from German muff, from Dutch mof, from Dutch moffel, from Middle French moufle, from Old French mofle, from Medieval Latin muffula, from Frankish molfell — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.
muff (Swedish): a muff (for keeping hands warm)
Definitions
- a muff (for keeping hands warm)
Ancestry of “muff”, step by step
muff traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German muffe
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | muffe | inflection of muffen: ## first-person singular... |
| 2 | German | muff | singular imperative of muffen; first-person... |
| 3 | Dutch | mof | muff; Piece to protect pipes where they are... |
| 4 | Dutch | moffel | — |
| 5 | Middle French | moufle | — |
| 6 | Old French | mofle | thick glove |
| 7 | Medieval Latin | muffula | a muff; muff |
| 8 | Frankish | molfell | soft garment made of hide |
| 9 | Middle High German | mol | — |
| 10 | Old High German | mol | — |
| 11 | Proto-Germanic | mulô | muzzle |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | molh₂-o- | — |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | melh₂- | to grind, to crush |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | mel- | soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub |
| 15 | Proto-Indo-European | mey- | to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange |