An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Mus

by Friedrich Kluge

Mus, neuter, ‘pap, porridge, connection of fruit,’ from Middle High German and Old High German muos, neuter, ‘cooked food, especially pap-like food; food, meal’; Old Saxon and Anglo-Saxon môs, neuter, ‘food.’ The assumed Gothic *môsa-, ‘food,’ may be connected with mati-, ‘food,’ while *môsa- may represent *môtta- with a dental suffix; in that case the root would be Teutonic mat, pre-Teutonic mā̆d, ‘to cook, prepare food’ (for Gothic mats, ‘food,’ see Messer and mästen). To this is allied Gemüse, ‘vegetables,’ from Middle High German gemüese (Old High German *gimuosi), neuter, which as a derivative presumes the more general sense of Old High German muos. See Musteil.