Etymology of amuse

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗

verb

To entertain or occupy (someone or something) in a pleasant manner; to stir (someone) with pleasing emotions. · To cause laughter or amusement; to be funny. · To keep in expectation; to beguile; to delude. · To occupy or engage the attention of; to lose in deep thought; to absorb; also, to distract; to bewilder.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Old French a- Medieval Latin musumder.? Old French muser Old French amuserbor. Middle English *amusen English amuse From Late Middle English *amusen (“to mutter, be astonished, gaze meditatively on”), from Old French amuser (“to stupefy, waste time, be lost in thought”), from a- + muser (“to stare stupidly at, gape, wander, waste time, loiter, think carefully about, attend to”), of uncertain and obscure origin. Cognate with Occitan musa (“idle waiting”), Italian musare (“to gape idly about”). Possibly from Old French *mus (“snout”) from Vulgar Latin *mūsa (“snout”) — compare Medieval Latin mūsum (“muzzle, snout”) –, from Proto-Germanic *mū- (“muzzle, snout”), from Proto-Indo-European *mū- (“lips, muzzle”). Compare North Frisian müs, mös (“mouth”), German Maul (“muzzle, snout”). Alternative etymology connects muser and musa with Frankish *muoza (“careful attention, leisure, idleness”), from Proto-Germanic *mōtǭ (“leave, permission”), from Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to acquire, possess, control”). This would make it a cognate of Dutch musen (“to leisure”), Old High German *muoza (“careful attention, leisure, idleness”) and muozōn (“to be idle, have leisure or opportunity”), German Muße (“leisure”). More at empty.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mention*amusenenm · to mutter, be astonished, gaze meditatively on
Derivation mentionamuserfro · to stupefy, waste time, be lost in thought
Cognate mentionmusaoc
Cognate mentionmusareit
Derivation mention*musfro
Derivation mention*mū-gem-pro
Derivation mention*mū-ine-pro
Cognate mentionmüsfrr
Cognate mentionMaulde
Cognate mention*mōtǭgem-pro
Cognate mention*med-ine-pro
Cognate mentionmusennl
Cognate mention*muozagoh
Cognate mentionMußede

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:*amusen<ety:bor<fro:amuser<ety:af<a-><muser>>>>",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *h₂éd\nProto-Italic *ad\nProto-Italic *ad-\nLatin ad-\nOld French a-\nMedieval Latin musumder.?\nOld French muser\nOld French amuserbor.\nMiddle English *amusen\nEnglish amuse\n[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"to\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"to\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"to\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"at\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*h₂éd\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*ad\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*ad-\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"ad-\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"a-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"gloss\" : \"muzzle\", \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Medieval Latin\", \"term\" : \"musum\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"la-med\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"muser\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"amuser\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"*amusen\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"amuse\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"amuse\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "*amusen",
        "t": "to mutter, be astonished, gaze meditatively on"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English *amusen (“to mutter, be astonished, gaze meditatively on”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "amuser",
        "t": "to stupefy, waste time, be lost in thought"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French amuser (“to stupefy, waste time, be lost in thought”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "unc",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "uncertain"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "oc",
        "2": "musa",
        "3": "",
        "4": "idle waiting"
      },
      "expansion": "Occitan musa (“idle waiting”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "it",
        "2": "musare",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to gape idly about"
      },
      "expansion": "Italian musare (“to gape idly about”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "*mus",
        "4": "",
        "5": "snout"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French *mus (“snout”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la-vul",
        "3": "*mūsa",
        "4": "",
        "5": "snout"
      },
      "expansion": "Vulgar Latin *mūsa (“snout”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "la-med",
        "2": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Medieval Latin"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*mū-",
        "4": "",
        "5": "muzzle, snout"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *mū- (“muzzle, snout”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*mū-",
        "4": "",
        "5": "lips, muzzle"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *mū- (“lips, muzzle”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "frr",
        "2": "müs"
      },
      "expansion": "North Frisian müs"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Maul",
        "3": "",
        "4": "muzzle, snout"
      },
      "expansion": "German Maul (“muzzle, snout”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "frk",
        "2": "*muoza",
        "3": "",
        "4": "careful attention, leisure, idleness"
      },
      "expansion": "Frankish *muoza (“careful attention, leisure, idleness”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "gem-pro",
        "2": "*mōtǭ",
        "3": "",
        "4": "leave, permission"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *mōtǭ (“leave, permission”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ine-pro",
        "2": "*med-",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to acquire, possess, control"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to acquire, possess, control”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "musen",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to leisure"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch musen (“to leisure”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "goh",
        "2": "*muoza",
        "3": "",
        "4": "careful attention, leisure, idleness"
      },
      "expansion": "Old High German *muoza (“careful attention, leisure, idleness”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Muße",
        "3": "",
        "4": "leisure"
      },
      "expansion": "German Muße (“leisure”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:*amusen<ety:bor<fro:amuser<ety:af<a-><muser>>>>",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *h₂éd\nProto-Italic *ad\nProto-Italic *ad-\nLatin ad-\nOld French a-\nMedieval Latin musumder.?\nOld French muser\nOld French amuserbor.\nMiddle English *amusen\nEnglish amuse"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*h₂éd",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂éd#Proto-Indo-European:_at"
    ],
    [
      "*ad",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/ad#Proto-Italic:_to"
    ],
    [
      "*ad-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/ad-#Proto-Italic:_to"
    ],
    [
      "ad-",
      "ad-#Latin:_to"
    ],
    [
      "a-",
      "a-#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "musum",
      "musum#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "muser",
      "muser#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "amuser",
      "amuser#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "*amusen",
      "Reconstruction:Middle English/amusen"
    ],
    [
      "*amusen",
      "Reconstruction:Middle English/amusen"
    ],
    [
      "amuser",
      "amuser#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "a-",
      "a-#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "muser",
      "muser#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "musa",
      "musa#Occitan"
    ],
    [
      "musare",
      "musare#Italian"
    ],
    [
      "*mus",
      "Reconstruction:Old French/mus"
    ],
    [
      "*mūsa",
      "Reconstruction:Latin/musa"
    ],
    [
      "mūsum",
      "musum#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "*mū-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/mū-"
    ],
    [
      "*mū-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/mū-"
    ],
    [
      "müs",
      "müs#North_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "mös",
      "mös#North_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "Maul",
      "Maul#German"
    ],
    [
      "muser",
      "muser#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "musa",
      "musa#Occitan"
    ],
    [
      "*muoza",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/muoza"
    ],
    [
      "*mōtǭ",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/mōtǭ"
    ],
    [
      "*med-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/med-"
    ],
    [
      "musen",
      "musen#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "*muoza",
      "Reconstruction:Old High German/muoza"
    ],
    [
      "muozōn",
      "muozon#Old_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "Muße",
      "Muße#German"
    ],
    [
      "empty",
      "empty#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To entertain or occupy (someone or something) in a pleasant manner; to stir (someone) with pleasing emotions.",
        "To cause laughter or amusement; to be funny.",
        "To keep in expectation; to beguile; to delude.",
        "To occupy or engage the attention of; to lose in deep thought; to absorb; also, to distract; to bewilder."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive",
        "archaic"
      ],
      "recordId": "fa8f85af92ad696593e1ca961eb33850ffa144bde4cb4443cfbdcfb69b329602",
      "rawRecordSha256": "8d0cda900975e98200bba36877679d766fe7ca68d0406af611885147b06ac8ca",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 175130
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

The source etymologies

Unnumbered source etymology

Relationships mentioned by the source

Where this record stops

Source and snapshot