English
muse
Muse comes from Latin Mūsa, and goes back to Ancient Greek Μοῦσα.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEΜοῦσαMoûsa
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEMūsa
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600muse
- Englishearliest quotation 1609muse
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEΜοῦσαMoûsa
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEMūsa
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600muse
- Englishearliest quotation 1609muse
Earliest quotation: 1609, William Shakespeare, Sonnet 85: “My toung-tide Muſe in manners holds her ſtill, While…”
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, demonstration, musical, mentor, monk, mint, monument, maya, dementia, monte, imminent, monastery, amnesty, mosaic, eminent, summon, menace, ming, prominence, mas, mandarin, mantra, mont, mania, amnesia, 126 more
through Ancient Greek Μοῦσα
Another origin of muse
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mew-uncertainearlier origin unknown
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500musum‘muzzle’uncertain
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400muser‘to ponder’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500musen‘to muse upon an object’
- Englishtodaymuse
Another origin of muse
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400muce‘hidden store’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentmusse‘hiding place’
- Englishtodaymuse
Today it means
noun Of a person: a source of inspiration.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek Μοῦσα / muse