mouse

Where does the word "mouse" come from? It comes from Proto-Germanic mūs, passing through Old English before entering English (1500s).

Mouse’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: mūs meant “mouse.” Cognate with Latin 'mūs' and Greek 'mys', one of the oldest shared animal words. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as mūs. The plural 'mȳs' gave 'mice'. It reached English by 1500s as mouse. The computer mouse was named in the 1960s at the Stanford Research Institute for its tail-like cable. Today, mouse means a small rodent with a long tail.

1. Stage 1 · Proto-Germanic · ancient mūs "mouse", cognate with Latin 'mūs' and Greek 'mys', one of the oldest shared animal words.
2. Stage 2 · Old English · 700s-1000s mūs "mouse", the plural 'mȳs' gave 'mice'.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1500s mouse "mouse", the computer mouse was named in the 1960s at the Stanford Research Institute for its tail-like cable.