mousefall

The story

1. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*mūsfallā“mousetrap”
2. Old English · inherited frommūsfealle“mousetrap”
3. Middle English · inherited frommousfalle
4. English todaymousefall

From Middle English mousfalle, from Old English mūsfealle (“mousetrap”), from Proto-West Germanic *mūsfallā (“mousetrap”), equivalent to mouse + fall. Cognate with Scots mousfall (“mousetrap”), Saterland Frisian Muusefalle (“mousetrap”), West Frisian mûzefalle (“mousetrap”), Dutch muizenval (“mousetrap”), German Low German Muusfall, Muusfalle (“mousetrap”), German Mausfalle, Mausefalle (“mousetrap”).