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Origin and history of musty

musty(adj.)

1520s, "moldy, sour," perhaps a variant of moisty "moist, damp" (see moist), but musty, of bread, "containing must" is attested mid-15c., and from 15c.-19c. must also was a variant of musk. Related: Mustiness.

also from 1520s

Entries linking to musty

moist(adj.)

late 14c., "slightly wet; well-irrigated, characterized by moistness," from Old French moiste "damp, wet, soaked" (13c., Modern French moite), which is of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Vulgar Latin *muscidus "moldy," also "wet," from Latin mucidus "slimy, moldy, musty," from mucus "slime" (see mucus). Alternative etymology [Diez] is from Latin musteus "fresh, green, new," literally "like new wine," from musteum "new wine" (see must (n.1)). If this wasn't the source, it influenced the form of the other word in Old French. Related: Moistly; moistness (mid-14c.).

must(n.2)

"mold, moldiness," c. 1600, perhaps a back-formation of musty (q.v.).

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    Trends of musty

    adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

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    moldy
    also mouldy, "overgrown or covered with mold, decaying," 1570s, earlier mowly (late 14c.), from mold (n.2) + -y (2). Related: Moldiness. Your most beautiful bit, that hath all eyes upon her, That her honesty sells for a hogo of honour ; Whose lightness and brightness do shin
    footle
    But OED derives the English dialect words from foughty (c. 1600), from Dutch vochtig or Danish fugtig "damp, musty;" related...
    mucus
    or slimy substances or conditions (source also of Latin emungere "to sneeze out, blow one's nose," mucere "be moldy or musty...
    musk
    odoriferous reddish-brown substance secreted by the male musk deer (dried and used in medicinal preparations and as a perfume), late 14c., from Old French musc (13c.) and directly from Medieval Latin muscus, from Late Greek moskhos, from Persian mushk, from Sanskrit muska-s "test
    nuance
    "slight or delicate degree of difference in expression, feeling, opinion, etc.," 1781, from French nuance "slight difference, shade of color" (17c.), from nuer "to shade," from nue "cloud," from Gallo-Roman *nuba, from Latin nubes "a cloud, mist, vapor," from PIE *sneudh- "fog" (
    hot dog
    also hotdog, "sausage on a split roll," c. 1890, American English, from hot (adj.) + dog (n.). Many early references are in college student publications; later popularized, but probably not coined, by cartoonist T.A. "Tad" Dorgan (1877-1929). It is said in early explanations to e
    history
    late 14c., "relation of incidents" (true or false), from Old French estoire, estorie "story; chronicle, history" (12c., Modern French histoire), from Latin historia "narrative of past events, account, tale, story," from Greek historia "a learning or knowing by inquiry; an account
    hanker
    c. 1600, "linger in expectation;" 1640s, "have a longing or craving for," of unknown origin. Probably from Flemish hankeren, related to Dutch hunkeren "to hanker, to long for," which is perhaps an intensive or frequentative of Middle Dutch hangen "to hang" (see hang (v.)). If so,
    hocus-pocus
    magical formula used in conjuring, 1630s, earlier Hocas Pocas, common name of a magician or juggler (1620s); a sham-Latin invocation used by jugglers, perhaps based on a perversion of the sacramental blessing from the Mass, Hoc est corpus meum "This is my body." The first to make
    crux
    1814, "a cross," from Latin crux "cross," a word of uncertain origin. Sometimes said to be cognate with Irish cruach "heap, hill," Gaulish *krouka "summit," Old Norse hryggr "backbone," Old English hrycg "back." But de Vaan is suspicious: The Celtic and Gm. forms are often recon

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    Dictionary entries near musty
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