Etymologically
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mustum

Etymology and origin of the Latin word mustum

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Cato
Ultimate origin
Latin (mustus)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin mustum
English must

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈmʊs.tũː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈmus.tum][1]

Forms

mustum n (genitive mustī); second declension[1]

Etymology

It is the neuter of mustus “new, fresh”, used as a noun.[2][1] Etymonline says it is short for vinum mustum, “fresh wine”.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Cato uses it.[4][5] Köbler dates Cato 234–149 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant grape juice unfermented or only partly fermented, must, as in Cato, Virgil's Georgics and Cicero.[2][4] In the plural musta meant the vintage, autumn, as in Ovid, and Pliny has olei musta, new oil.[4]

Isidore says it is wine just taken from the vat, and that its ferment is so strong it bursts even large vessels without a vent.[6] The Romance languages kept it, as Italian mosto and French moût.[7][1] English must “new wine” comes from it in Old English.[3]

Timeline

  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses it.[4][5]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it in the Georgics.[4][5]
  • 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses the plural for autumn.[4][5]
  • c. 560–636 AD – Isidore describes its fermentation.[6][5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Must, new wine, unfermented grape juice.[2][1]
  2. (plural) The vintage, autumn.[4]
  3. olei musta: new oil.[4]

Word family

  • mustārius
  • mustax
  • musteus
  • mustulentus

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).
  7. ^ Buchi, Éva; Schweickard, Wolfgang, eds. (2008–), Dictionnaire Étymologique Roman (DÉRom), Nancy: ATILF, http://www.atilf.fr/DERom

Borrowed into

Cite this entry

“Mustum.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/mustum. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·