mus-的词源

英文词源

litmus (n.)

"blue dye-stuff obtained from certain lichens," early 14c., from Middle Dutch lijkmoes (Dutch lakmoes), from lac (see lac) + moes "pulp." Another theory is that it represents Old Norse litmose, literally "lichen for dying," from Old Norse lita "to dye, to stain," from litr "color, dye" (see lit (n.1)) + mos "moss." Yet another idea connects the first element to Middle Dutch leken "to drip, leak" (see leak (v.)).

Whichever was the original word, it probably was influenced by the others. The dye is obtained from certain lichens. It is naturally blue but turns red in acid and is restored to blue by alkalis. Figurative use of litmus test is first attested 1957, from scientific use of litmus-treated paper as a chemical indicator. Litmus paper with this meaning is from 1803.

mouse (n.)

Old English mus "small rodent," also "muscle of the arm," from Proto-Germanic *mus (cognates: Old Norse, Old Frisian, Middle Dutch, Danish, Swedish mus, Dutch muis, German Maus "mouse"), from PIE *mus- (cognates: Sanskrit mus "mouse, rat," Old Persian mush "mouse," Old Church Slavonic mysu, Latin mus, Lithuanian muse "mouse," Greek mys "mouse, muscle").

Plural form mice (Old English mys) shows effects of i-mutation. Contrasted with man (n.) from 1620s. Meaning "black eye" (or other discolored lump) is from 1842. Computer sense is from 1965, though applied to other things resembling a mouse in shape since 1750, mainly nautical.

Parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus [Horace]

must (n.1)

"new wine," Old English must, from Latin mustum (also source of Old High German, German most, Old French moust, Modern French moût, Spanish, Italian mosto), short for vinum mustum "fresh wine," neuter of mustus "fresh, new, newborn," perhaps literally "wet," and from PIE *mus-to-, from root *meus- "damp" (see moss).

mustelid (n.)

1910, from Modern Latin Mustelidae, taken as a genus name by Linnaeus (1758), from Latin mustela "weasel," possibly related to mus "mouse" (see mouse (n.)). Tucker tentatively suggests *mus-ters-la "mouse harrier" and Klein notes that the weasel was identified in antiquity as "the catcher of mice."

中文词源

mus-（文艺）：希腊神话中主管文艺的缪斯女神Muses

缪斯（Muses）是希腊神话中主管科学和文艺的女神们的总称，为神王宙斯和记忆女神谟涅摩绪涅所生，其数量不定，有的说共三位，有的说共九位。英语单词muse作名词时表示“缪斯”，往往用大写复数形式；作动词时另有词源，本意是“用鼻子去寻找气味”，但受到作名词的muse的词义影响，词义逐渐变为“凝视、沉思”。单词amuse=to muse，本来与muse含义相同，后来词义逐渐变化为“吸引注意力”，后来又变化为“转移注意力，娱乐”。

由于缪斯女神主管文艺，所以在古代西方，人们往往将杰出的艺术作品放在缪斯女神的神庙中，这就是博物馆（museum）的起源。英语单词museum由muse缪斯+um场所构成，本意就是“缪斯的神庙”。英语单词music（音乐）的本意是“art of the Muses”（缪斯的艺术）。而英语单词mosaic（马赛克）的本意是“work of the Muses”（缪斯的作品），以前往往都是供奉给缪斯女神的。

muse： [mjuːz] n.缪斯，沉思，明显v.沉思，凝视

amuse： [ə'mjuːz] vt.娱乐，消遣，使发笑，使愉快

amusement： [ə'mjuːzm(ə)nt] n.娱乐，消遣，乐趣

museum： [mjuː'zɪəm] n.博物馆

music： ['mjuːzɪk] n.音乐，乐曲

mosaic： [mə(ʊ)'zeɪɪk] n.马赛克，镶嵌adj.摩西的，镶嵌的

该词的英语词源请访问趣词词源英文版：mus- 词源，mus- 含义。