mușchi

mușchi¹ moss

Forms

mușchi m (plural mușchi)^[1]

Etymology

The word for the moss is inherited from Vulgar Latin *mūsculus, a diminutive of Latin mūscus (“moss”) not recorded in Latin.^[2][3][4][5] Wiktionary gives the syncopated *mūsclus.^[1] The same diminutive is continued by Italian muschio and Friulian muscli, while Spanish musgo and Portuguese musgo go back to the simple noun.^[2][6][1] It survives south of the Danube as Aromanian mushclju, and Albanian myshk is compared.^[7][1][5] Ciorănescu thinks the Modern Greek μούσκλια (moúsklia) comes from Aromanian.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tiktin and MDA2 date the first record to the Anonymus Caransebesiensis, a Romanian–Latin glossary of the later 17th century.^[4][8] Nicolae Costin writes that moss had grown on the stones: „Acmu au crescut pre acele petre mușchi”.^[9]

Semantic evolution

The word names the mosses as a class of plants and a single plant of that class.^[3][8] It is also used for some lichens that look like mosses, such as Iceland moss, mușchi-de-munte.^[3][10] The proverb piatra care se rostogolește nu prinde mușchi “a rolling stone gathers no moss” is said of people who start much and finish nothing;^[8][11][4] Costinescu gave it in 1870 with its French equivalent.^[8][11][4]

Timeline

• c. 1650–1700 – the first record, in the Anonymus Caransebesiensis.^[8][4]
• 1829 – a mountain covered with trees almost to the top, “where there is nothing but moss”, in a newspaper.^[9]
• 1870 – the proverb of the rolling stone in Costinescu's dictionary.^[11]

Meanings

Noun

1. (in the plural) The mosses, a class of rootless plants that grow in green tufts in damp, shady places;^[3][1] (singular) a plant of this class.^[3][1]
2. A name for some lichens that look like mosses.^[3][8]

Word family

• mușchios

mușchi² muscle

Etymology tree of mușchi²

inherited borrowed derived

Latin mūs

Latin mūsculus

Romanian mușchi

English muscle

From the same root · mușchi²

Romanian mușchios ← mūsculus

Forms

mușchi m (plural mușchi)^[1]

Etymology

The word for the muscle is inherited from Latin mūsculus (“little mouse; muscle”), a diminutive of mūs (“mouse”).^{[2][3][9][12]} The sense “muscle” follows Ancient Greek μῦς (mûs), which also meant both “mouse” and “muscle”.^[1] Ciorănescu follows Pușcariu, Candrea and Densusianu and the REW.^[2][13] Wiktionary gives the syncopated Vulgar Latin *mūsclus.^[1]

The word survives south of the Danube: Aromanian mushclju and Megleno-Romanian mușchi.^[2][14][15] Its cognates include Italian muscolo, French muscle, Catalan muscle and Spanish muslo; Albanian mushk means “shoulder”.^[2][13][1] Romanian lent the word to Hungarian musty.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tiktin and the DLR cite the Anonymus Caransebesiensis, of the later 17th century, as the first record.^[16][9] MDA2 gives the Bucharest Bible of 1688.^[8]

Semantic evolution

The anatomical sense is the first: Cantemir describes the camel with „suciți mușchii, întinse vinele” “twisted muscles, stretched sinews”.^[16] From the 18th century the word also names a cut of meat along the backbone, the fillet, and a cured product made from it: a letter of 1778 mentions ox and goat tongues sent with niște mușchi.^[9][8] MDA2 records the Latinist variants musclu and muscul.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 1650–1700 – the first record, in the Anonymus Caransebesiensis.^[9]
• 1688 – mușchii in the Bucharest Bible (Job 16:13).^[17]
• 1705 – mușchii of the camel in Cantemir's Istoria ieroglifică.^[16]
• 1778 – the cut of meat, in a letter.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. A muscle: an organ of fibrous, fleshy tissue that contracts and moves the parts of the body.^[3][1]
2. A cut of lean meat along the backbone, the fillet; a cured meat made from it.^[3][8]

Word family

• mușchiulos