mummy

mummy · noun, verb¹

1. Persian · derived fromمومیا
2. Arabic · derived fromمُومِيَاء
3. Medieval Latin · derived frommumia
4. Middle French · derived frommomie
5. Anglo-Norman · derived frommumie
6. Middle English · inherited frommummie
7. English todaymummy

From Middle English mummie, from Anglo-Norman mumie, from Middle French momie, from Medieval Latin mumia, from Arabic مُومِيَاء (mūmiyāʔ), from Persian مومیا (mumyâ), from موم (mum, “wax”). Doublet of mumijo.

mummy · noun²

From mum + -y (diminutive suffix), related to mom and mommy, from mother.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 17th c. An embalmed human or non-human animal corpse wrapped in linen bandages for burial, especially as practised by the ancient Egyptians and some Native American tribes.
• from 20th c. A reanimated embalmed human corpse, as a stock character in horror films.
• from 18th c. Any naturally preserved human or non-human animal body.
• from 18th c. A brown pigment originally prepared from the ground-up remains of Egyptian animal or human mummies mixed with bitumen, etc.
• from 17th c. A pulp.
• from 14th c. A substance used in medicine, prepared from mummified flesh.
• 18th c. A sort of wax used in grafting.