SOURCE 01supportshistorical dictionary
Muscle — Word History
Documents the French channel into anatomical English muscle.
Middle English and Old French ancestry- AUTHOR / EDITOR
- American Heritage Dictionary Editors
- YEAR
- 2026
- PUBLISHER
- HarperCollins
PERMANENT DISPUTE RECORD
ALL DISPUTES ↗CLAIM / COUNTERCLAIM / LIMITRECORD 40
DISPUTE
RECORD.
One scholarly question. Every attached source. The present editorial state, without pretending the last word has been written.
resolvedestablished
Did anatomical muscle reach English through French?
The anatomical English word passed through Middle English and Old French from Latin musculus.
WORD UNDER REVIEWDISPUTE 40
muscle
/ˈmʌsəl/ · noun
A body tissue or organ whose English name descends through French from Latin musculus, a diminutive of mūs “mouse.”
01
DIRECT CLAIM EVIDENCE
2 SOURCES WITH A STANCE
A citation is not a vote. Each record says whether the work supports, challenges, contradicts, or contextualizes the position—and identifies the exact locus used.
SOURCE 02contexthistorical dictionary
Muscle — Word History
Supplies the Latin diminutive base behind the French form.
Etymology and First Known Use- AUTHOR / EDITOR
- Merriam-Webster Editors
- YEAR
- 2026
- PUBLISHER
- Merriam-Webster
02 / EDITORIAL STATE
THE CURRENT RECORD IS RESOLVED.
- CONFIDENCE
- established
- STATUS
- resolved
- LEGACY SOURCE SUMMARY
- American Heritage gives the Old French channel; Merriam-Webster gives the Latin diminutive base.
The French borrowing path is retained for the anatomical dossier.