English
Museum
Museum comes from Latin Mūsēum, and goes back to Ancient Greek Μοῦσα ‘Muse’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEΜοῦσα‘Muse’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEΜουσεῖονMouseîon
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEMūsēum
- Englishearliest quotation 1873Museum
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEΜοῦσα‘Muse’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEΜουσεῖονMouseîon
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEMūsēum
- Englishearliest quotation 1873Museum
Earliest quotation: 1873, The American Journal of Education: “The Museum was thoroughly regarded in the light of…”
The story
Borrowed from Latin Mūsēum, from Ancient Greek Μουσεῖον (Mouseîon), from Μοῦσα (Moûsa, “Muse”) + -εῖον (-eîon, noun-forming suffix meaning “place or building associated with a specific purpose or person”).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to think’
money, mind, amount, comment, mental, mouth, remain, mention, mountain, permanent, monster, auto, mount, min, monitor, monetary, musical, demonstration, mentor, monk, mint, maya, dementia, monument, monte, imminent, monastery, amnesty, eminent, menace, ming, prominence, mas, mandarin, mantra, mont, mania, amnesia, manic, summon, 126 more
through Ancient Greek Μοῦσα ‘Muse’
through Ancient Greek Μουσεῖον
Today it means
name —
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek Μοῦσα / Museum