music

The story

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromΜοῦσα“Muse”
2. Ancient Greek · derived fromμουσική
3. Latin · derived frommūsica
4. Old French · derived frommusique
5. Anglo-Norman · derived frommusik
6. Middle English · inherited frommusik
7. English todaymusic

From Middle English musik, musike, borrowed from Anglo-Norman musik, musike, Old French musique, and their source Latin mūsica, from Ancient Greek μουσική (mousikḗ), from Ancient Greek Μοῦσα (Moûsa, “Muse”), an Ancient Greek deity of the arts. By surface analysis, muse + -ic (“pertaining to”). In this sense, displaced native Old English drēam (“music”), whence Modern English dream. Fully displaced Old English sweġl.

Words from the same roots