musca Latin · revision 721

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈmʊs.ka]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈmus.ka]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''musca''' ''f'' (genitive muscae); first declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It goes back to [[itc-pro|*musko/ā-]], from [[ine-pro|*mu-s-|t=fly, gnat]], quite possibly an imitative *mu for the humming of flies and mosquitoes.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) The extension in *-s- is shared by Latin, Balto-Slavic, Greek and Germanic.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ Cognate with [[grc|μυῖα|tr=muîa|t=fly]], [[xcl|մուն|tr=mun|t=gnat]], [[sq|mizë|t=fly]], [[lt|musė̃|t=fly]], [[cu|муха|tr=muxa|t=fly]] and [[ang|mycg|t=midge]], the source of [[en|midge]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is found from Plautus onwards,^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) who uses it of prying people and unbidden guests.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant a [[m|en|fly]], and figuratively an inquisitive or importunate person, as in Plautus and in Cicero's anecdote ''puer, abige muscas'' “boy, drive away the flies”.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913) Suetonius tells that Domitian used to catch flies and stab them with a sharp stylus.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913) Seneca says of a dull man that he could not even stir up a fly.^(Georges 1913)

+

+ It survives as French ''mouche'', Italian ''mosca'' and Romanian ''muscă'',^(Wiktionary)^(TLL) and through Spanish ''mosquito'' “little fly” it gave [[en|mosquito]], and through French ''mousquette'' [[en|musket]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of meddlesome people.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 116–27 BC – Varro uses it for the fly.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero reports the joke ''puer, abige muscas''.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 75–c. 150 AD – Suetonius tells of Domitian stabbing flies.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1580s – Spanish ''mosquito'', its diminutive, enters English as [[en|mosquito]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|fly]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # ''(figurative)'' A prying or importunate person.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[muscārius]]

+ * [[muscula]]

+ * [[muscārium]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[en|mosquito]]

+ * [[en|musket]]

+ * [[en|midge]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}