Etymology Map
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Mouse

3 stages from Proto-Germanic to English.

Today it means a small rodent with a long tail

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

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

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.