Etymology

moue

M3O1U1E1

Today it means: A pout, especially as expressing mock-annoyance or flirtatiousness. Full definition →

First used 19th c.French moue ← Old French moe ← Frankish *mauwa
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The story

  1. Frankish · derived from*mauwa“pout, protruding lip”
  2. Old French · derived frommoe“grimace”
  3. French · borrowed frommoue
  4. English todaymoue

Borrowed from French moue, from Old French moe (“grimace”), from Frankish *mauwa (“pout, protruding lip”). Doublet of mow ("grimace").

Words from the same roots

Old Frenchmoe all →

mow

Frankish*mauwa all →

mow

First known use, by meaning

  • from 19th c. A pout, especially as expressing mock-annoyance or flirtatiousness.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.