midget

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*mus-, *mu-, *mew-
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*mugjō
3. Old English · derived frommyċġ“mosquito”
4. English todaymidget

From midge (chiefly in the figurative sense of “small thing”, literally “small fly”) + -et (diminutive suffix), (from Old English myċġ (“mosquito”), from Proto-Germanic *mugjō, from Proto-Indo-European *mus-, *mu-, *mew-; cognate with Dutch mug (“mosquito”) and German Mücke (“midge, gnat”)).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from early 19th c. A very small thing; especially one which is conspicuously smaller than expected or by comparison.
• from early 19th c. Alternative form of midge (“small fly”)
• from later 19th c. A short person, particularly one with dwarfism.