MussoliniMussolini

The story

The name is well-documented in Emilian medieval archives (e.g., as Muxolinus or Muxolini since the late 13th century, such as Muxolinus de Musolinis in 1289 and Petrus Muxolinus de Argelata in 1297). An alternative, popular folk etymology connects the name to mussola or mussolina (‘muslin’) (denoting a weaver or merchant of the fabric), which ultimately derives from Arabic Arabic مَوْصِلِيّ (mawṣiliyy, “from Mosul”), from the city of Mussolo (‘Mosul’) in northern Iraq.1folk etymology The source marks this as unproven or a folk etymology. Quoted, not asserted. While this textile association was historically influential (even leading the municipality of Bologna to rename via dei Mussolini to via dei Tessitori in 1949), modern onomastic and toponymic research has shown it to be a false etymology.2folk etymology The source marks this as unproven or a folk etymology. Quoted, not asserted.