English
musical
Musical comes from Middle English musical, via Old French, from Medieval Latin mūsicālis, from Latin mūsica ‘music’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmūsica‘music’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500mūsicālis‘musical’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500musical
- Englishearliest quotation 1962same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmūsica‘music’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500mūsicālis‘musical’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500musical
- Englishearliest quotation 1962same form
Earliest quotation: 1962, Edward Albee, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?: A Play: “Musical beds is the faculty sport around here.”
Formed from music + -al
Ancient Greek Μοῦσα ‘Muse’
…
Ancient Greek μουσική ‘any of the Muses’ arts, especially music’
Latin mūsica ‘music’
Anglo-Norman musik
Middle English musik
English music
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to think’
money, mind, amount, comment, mouth, remain, mention, mountain, mental, permanent, monster, auto, mount, min, monitor, museum, monetary, demonstration, mentor, monk, mint, monument, maya, dementia, monte, imminent, monastery, amnesty, eminent, summon, menace, ming, prominence, mas, mandarin, mantra, mont, mania, mosaic, remnant, 126 more
through Ancient Greek Μοῦσα ‘Muse’
Today it means
adj Of, belonging or relating to music, or to its performance or notation.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin mūsica / musical