musio
Latin
Etymology
Unknown. No actual uses are known, but the word is included by Isidore of Seville in his Etymologiae, where it is stated that the word is a new creation from mūs (“mouse”) since cats catch mice; however, Isidore's etymologies are usually unreliable. Compare Latin mūstēla.
Noun
mūsiō f (genitive mūsiōnis); third declension (hapax)
- cat
- c. 600 CE – 625 CE, Isidorus Hispalensis, Etymologiae 12.2.38:
- Mūsiō appellātus, quod mūribus īnfestus sit. Hunc vulgus cattum ā captūra vocant.
- [A cat] is called mūsiō because it is deadly to mice. People call it cattus from catching.
- Mūsiō appellātus, quod mūribus īnfestus sit. Hunc vulgus cattum ā captūra vocant.
Usage notes
- Gender and inflection are unattested. Gaffiot gives it as "mūsiō, ōnis, m.", Georges as "musio, ōnis, f.".
Declension
Third-declension noun.
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | mūsiō | mūsiōnēs |
| Genitive | mūsiōnis | mūsiōnum |
| Dative | mūsiōnī | mūsiōnibus |
| Accusative | mūsiōnem | mūsiōnēs |
| Ablative | mūsiōne | mūsiōnibus |
| Vocative | mūsiō | mūsiōnēs |
Synonyms
- (a cat): fēlēs, cattus, mūriceps, mūrilegus, pilax
Descendants
- Catalan: moix
- Italian: micio
- Sicilian: muciu
Further reading
- mūsĭo in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette, page 1006