English
muscle
Muscle comes from Latin mūsculus ‘a muscle’, from mūs ‘mouse’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *múHs.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*múHs‘mouse’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*mūs‘mouse’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmūs‘mouse’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmūsculus‘a muscle’literally ‘little mouse’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600muscle
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1701same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*múHs‘mouse’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*mūs‘mouse’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmūs‘mouse’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmūsculus‘a muscle’literally ‘little mouse’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600muscle
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1701same form
Earliest quotation: 1701, Nehemiah Grew, Of the Use of Organized Bodies: “For as the Trunk of the Body, is kept…”
The story
From Middle English muscle, muscule, muskylle, and in part from Middle French muscle, from Latin mūsculus (“a muscle”, literally “little mouse”) because of the mouselike appearance of some muscles, from mūs (‘mouse’).
Linked words
pairs
- muscle and mussel both from Latin mūsculus ‘a muscle’
through Proto-Indo-European *múHs ‘mouse’
mice, mouse, myelin, myocardium, 16 more
through Latin mūs ‘mouse’
through Latin mūsculus ‘a muscle’
Today it means
noun A contractile form of tissue which animals use to effect movement.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *múHs / muscle