English word origin

Etymology of mu

From Ancient Greek μῦ (mû), derived from Phoenician 𐤌𐤌 (mm /⁠mem⁠/, “water”). Doublet of mem.

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

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.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

The 12th letter of the Modern Greek alphabet.

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

From Ancient Greek μῦ (mû), derived from Phoenician 𐤌𐤌 (mm /⁠mem⁠/, “water”). Doublet of mem.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Derivation mentionμῦgrc
Derivation mention𐤌𐤌phn
Doublet mentionmemen

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "μῦ"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek μῦ (mû)"
    },
    {
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "phn",
        "3": "𐤌𐤌",
        "4": "",
        "5": "water",
        "sc": "Phnx",
        "ts": "mem"
      },
      "expansion": "Phoenician 𐤌𐤌 (mm /⁠mem⁠/, “water”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "mem"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of mem"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "μῦ",
      "μῦ#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
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      "𐤌𐤌",
      "𐤌𐤌#Phoenician"
    ],
    [
      "mem",
      "mem#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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        "The 12th letter of the Modern Greek alphabet."
      ],
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        "countable",
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

intj

Neither yes nor no.

noun

Nothingness; nonexistence; the illusory nature of reality.

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

From Japanese 無 (mu, “nothing, neither yes nor no”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Derivation mention無ja

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ja",
        "3": "無",
        "4": "",
        "5": "nothing, neither yes nor no",
        "sc": "Jpan",
        "tr": "mu"
      },
      "expansion": "Japanese 無 (mu, “nothing, neither yes nor no”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "無",
      "無#Japanese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
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  "lexical": [
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      "pos": "intj",
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        "Neither yes nor no."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

noun

A unit of surface area, currently equivalent to two-thirtieths of a hectare.

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

From Mandarin 畝／亩 (mǔ).

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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        "1": "en",
        "2": "cmn",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Mandarin"
    },
    {
      "name": "zh-l",
      "args": {
        "1": "畝",
        "2": "mǔ"
      },
      "expansion": "畝／亩 (mǔ)"
    }
  ],
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      "畝",
      "畝#Chinese"
    ],
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      "亩#Chinese"
    ]
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for mu →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-bXU