muttum

muttum

Latin

Etymology

    Backformation from muttīre (to mutter, murmur, talk quietly). Of onomatopoeic origin; "make a mu-noise," possibly dating back to Proto-Indo-European *mū- (lips, muzzle); compare mūtus or mussō. See also Proto-Germanic *mūlō, English mutter.

    Pronunciation

    Noun

    muttum n (genitive muttī); second declension

    1. A mutter, a grunt

    Declension

    Second-declension noun (neuter).

    singular plural
    nominative muttum mutta
    genitive muttī muttōrum
    dative muttō muttīs
    accusative muttum mutta
    ablative muttō muttīs
    vocative muttum mutta

    Descendants

    • Insular Romance:
      • Sardinian: mutu
    • Italo-Romance:
      • Italian: motto (see there for further descendants)
      • Sicilian: muttu
    • Gallo-Italic:
    • Gallo-Romance:
      • Catalan: mot
      • Old French: mot
        • Middle French: mot
          • French: mot (see there for further descendants)
      • Old Occitan: mot

    References

    • muttum”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
    • "muttum", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
    • muttum”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.