*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of musty

The adjective is derived from Late Middle English musty; further origin uncertain, possibly from one of the following: * From Anglo-Norman muste, moste, variants of moiste, muiste (“moist”), from Old French moiste (“clam

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 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

A type of snuff with a musty flavour (adjective sense 2).

adj

Affected by dampness or mould; damp, mildewed, mouldy. · Having an odour or taste of mould; also (generally), having a stale or unfresh odour or taste. · Characteristic of or relating to mould or mouldiness. · Of attitudes, ideas, writing, or other abstract things: no longer fresh or interesting; outdated, stale.

verb

To turn musty (adjective sense 1 or 2); to must.

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

The adjective is derived from Late Middle English musty; further origin uncertain, possibly from one of the following: * From Anglo-Norman muste, moste, variants of moiste, muiste (“moist”), from Old French moiste (“clammy, damp, moist, wet”) (modern French moite (“muggy; sticky, sweaty”)), from a blend of Vulgar Latin *mucidus (from Latin mūcidus (“mouldy, musty”), from Old Latin mūceō (“to be mouldy or musty”) + -idus (suffix meaning ‘tending to’, forming adjectives)) + Latin mustum (“unfermented or partially fermented grape juice, must; new wine”) (from mustus (“fresh; young; unfermented”), from Proto-Indo-European *mus-, *mews- (“damp; moss”)). * From another language derived from the above Latin words (compare the cognates below). * A variant of Middle English mosty, moisti (“damp, humid, wet, moisty; of fruit: moist and juicy”) [and other forms] (perhaps influenced by must (“fruit (usually grape) juice which has been or will be fermented”)), from moist, moiste (“damp, humid; moist, wet; well-irrigated, well-watered; liquid; of ale: new; (figuratively) not withered, fresh; carnal, lascivious; raw, undisciplined”) (from Old French moiste: see above) + -i (suffix forming adjectives). Compare Middle French moisi (“mouldy”), an adjective use of the past participle of moisir (“(to cause) to go mouldy, to moulder”) (modern French moisir), from Latin mūcēre, the present active infinitive of Old Latin mūceō (“to be mouldy or musty”): see above. The English word is analysable as must (“mould; mustiness”) + -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of’ forming adjectives); however, must is thought to be a back-formation from musty. The noun and verb are derived from the adjective. Cognates * Catalan mústic, musti (“wilted, withered; gloomy, sad”) * Galician murcho, mucho (“wilted, withered”) * Old Occitan moste (Occitan moste, mosti, musti (“damp, wet”) (Gascon)) * Portuguese murcho (“wilted, withered; gloomy, sad”) * Spanish mustio (“wilted, withered; gloomy, sad”)

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Root classification mention*mews-ine-pro
  • Inherited-form mentionmustyenm
  • Derivation mentionmoistefro · clammy, damp, moist, wet
  • Cognate mentionmoitefr · muggy; sticky, sweaty
  • Derivation mentionmūcidusla · mouldy, musty
  • Derivation mentionmūceōla · to be mouldy or musty
  • Derivation mentionmustumla · unfermented or partially fermented grape juice, must; new wine
  • Derivation mention*mews-ine-pro · damp; moss
  • Inherited-form mentionmostyenm
  • Derivation mentionmoistefro
  • Cognate mentionmoisifrm · mouldy
  • Cognate mentionmoisirfr
  • Cognate mentionmūcērela
  • Cognate mentionmūceōla · to be mouldy or musty
  • Cognate mentionmústicca
  • Cognate mentionmurchogl
  • Cognate mentionmostepro
  • Cognate mentionmosteoc
  • Cognate mentionmurchopt · wilted, withered; gloomy, sad
  • Cognate mentionmustioes · wilted, withered; gloomy, sad

This page abbreviates 2 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*mews-",
        "id": "moss"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "adjective"
      },
      "expansion": "adjective"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "musty"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English musty"
    },
    {
      "name": "uncertain",
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        "nocap": "1"
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      "expansion": "uncertain"
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        "2": "xno",
        "3": "muste"
      },
      "expansion": "Anglo-Norman muste"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
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        "2": "fro",
        "3": "moiste",
        "t": "clammy, damp, moist, wet"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French moiste (“clammy, damp, moist, wet”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fr",
        "2": "moite",
        "t": "muggy; sticky, sweaty"
      },
      "expansion": "French moite (“muggy; sticky, sweaty”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "blend"
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      "name": "der",
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        "2": "la-vul",
        "3": "*mucidus"
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      "expansion": "Vulgar Latin *mucidus"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "mūcidus",
        "t": "mouldy, musty"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin mūcidus (“mouldy, musty”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
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        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
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        "t": "to be mouldy or musty"
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      "expansion": "Latin mūceō (“to be mouldy or musty”)"
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        "t": "unfermented or partially fermented grape juice, must; new wine"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin mustum (“unfermented or partially fermented grape juice, must; new wine”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*mews-",
        "4": "*mus-, *mews-",
        "id": "moss",
        "t": "damp; moss"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *mus-, *mews- (“damp; moss”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "mosty"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English mosty"
    },
    {
      "name": "nb...",
      "args": {
        "1": "moisty, moysti, moysty",
        "otherforms": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "[and other forms]"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "moiste"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French moiste"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "suffix"
      },
      "expansion": "suffix"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "frm",
        "2": "moisi",
        "t": "mouldy"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle French moisi (“mouldy”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "past"
      },
      "expansion": "past"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "participle"
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      "expansion": "participle"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fr",
        "2": "moisir"
      },
      "expansion": "French moisir"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "mūcēre"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin mūcēre"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "present"
      },
      "expansion": "present"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "active"
      },
      "expansion": "active"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "infinitive"
      },
      "expansion": "infinitive"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "mūceō",
        "t": "to be mouldy or musty"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin mūceō (“to be mouldy or musty”)"
    },
    {
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        "2": "must",
        "3": "y",
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        "pos2": "suffix meaning ‘having the quality of’ forming adjectives",
        "id2": "adjectival"
      },
      "expansion": "must (“mould; mustiness”) + -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of’ forming adjectives)"
    },
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      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "back-formation"
      },
      "expansion": "back-formation"
    },
    {
      "name": "sup",
      "args": {
        "1": "4"
      },
      "expansion": "⁴"
    },
    {
      "name": "sup",
      "args": {
        "1": "3"
      },
      "expansion": "³"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "noun"
      },
      "expansion": "noun"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "verb"
      },
      "expansion": "verb"
    },
    {
      "name": "col-top",
      "args": {
        "1": "2",
        "2": "cog"
      },
      "expansion": "Cognates"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ca",
        "2": "mústic"
      },
      "expansion": "Catalan mústic"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "gl",
        "2": "murcho"
      },
      "expansion": "Galician murcho"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "pro",
        "2": "moste"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Occitan moste"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "oc",
        "2": "moste"
      },
      "expansion": "Occitan moste"
    },
    {
      "name": "qualifier",
      "args": {
        "1": "Gascon"
      },
      "expansion": "(Gascon)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "pt",
        "2": "murcho",
        "t": "wilted, withered; gloomy, sad"
      },
      "expansion": "Portuguese murcho (“wilted, withered; gloomy, sad”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "es",
        "2": "mustio",
        "t": "wilted, withered; gloomy, sad"
      },
      "expansion": "Spanish mustio (“wilted, withered; gloomy, sad”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "musty",
      "musty#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "muste",
      "muste#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "moste",
      "moste#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "moiste",
      "moiste#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "muiste",
      "muiste#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "moiste",
      "moiste#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "moite",
      "moite#French"
    ],
    [
      "*mucidus",
      "Reconstruction:Latin/mucidus"
    ],
    [
      "mūcidus",
      "mucidus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "mūceō",
      "muceo#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "-idus",
      "-idus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "mustum",
      "mustum#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "mustus",
      "mustus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "*mus-, *mews-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/mews-#Proto-Indo-European:_moss"
    ],
    [
      "mosty",
      "mosty#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "moisti",
      "moisti#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "must",
      "must#English"
    ],
    [
      "moist",
      "moist#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "moiste",
      "moiste#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "moiste",
      "moiste#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "-i",
      "-i#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "moisi",
      "moisi#Middle_French"
    ],
    [
      "moisir",
      "moisir#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "moisir",
      "moisir#French"
    ],
    [
      "mūcēre",
      "mucere#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "mūceō",
      "muceo#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "must",
      "must#English"
    ],
    [
      "-y",
      "-y#English:_adjectival"
    ],
    [
      "mústic",
      "mústic#Catalan"
    ],
    [
      "musti",
      "musti#Catalan"
    ],
    [
      "murcho",
      "murcho#Galician"
    ],
    [
      "mucho",
      "mucho#Galician"
    ],
    [
      "moste",
      "moste#Old_Occitan"
    ],
    [
      "moste",
      "moste#Occitan"
    ],
    [
      "mosti",
      "mosti#Occitan"
    ],
    [
      "musti",
      "musti#Occitan"
    ],
    [
      "murcho",
      "murcho#Portuguese"
    ],
    [
      "mustio",
      "mustio#Spanish"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A type of snuff with a musty flavour (adjective sense 2)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete",
        "uncountable"
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      "pos": "adj",
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        "Affected by dampness or mould; damp, mildewed, mouldy.",
        "Having an odour or taste of mould; also (generally), having a stale or unfresh odour or taste.",
        "Characteristic of or relating to mould or mouldiness.",
        "Of attitudes, ideas, writing, or other abstract things: no longer fresh or interesting; outdated, stale."
      ],
      "tags": [
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        "To turn musty (adjective sense 1 or 2); to must."
      ],
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        "obsolete"
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
adj

Of a male animal such as a camel or an elephant: in musth.

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

From musth (“time during which male elephants exhibit increased levels of sexual activity and aggressiveness”) + -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of’ forming adjectives).

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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    },
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        "1": "3"
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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 musty →

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-bXVzdHk