muesli

Where does the word "muesli" come from? It comes from Swiss German Mues, passing through Swiss German before entering English (1900s).

Muesli’s story begins in Swiss German: Mues meant “mush, puree.” Meaning "puree" or "mush". Within Swiss German, it grew into Müesli by 1900s. A diminutive form, named a breakfast dish of oats, fruit, and nuts. It reached English by 1900s as muesli. Created around 1900 by the Swiss doctor Maximilian Bircher-Benner for patients at his Zurich clinic. Today, muesli means a breakfast cereal of rolled oats, dried fruit, nuts, and seeds.

1. Stage 1 · Swiss German · medieval Mues "mush, puree", meaning "puree" or "mush".
2. Stage 2 · Swiss German · 1900s Müesli "a little mush; a cereal breakfast dish", a diminutive form, named a breakfast dish of oats, fruit, and nuts.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1900s muesli "a breakfast cereal of oats, fruit, and nuts", created around 1900 by the Swiss doctor Maximilian Bircher-Benner for patients at his Zurich clinic.