mustela

See also: Mustela

English

Etymology

From Latin mūstēla and translingual Mustela.

Noun

mustela (plural mustelas)

1. Any of the carnivorous mammals of the genus Mustela.
   • 1826, John Mason Good, “Lecture I. On Zoological Systems, and the Distinctive Characters of Animals”, in The Book of Nature, volume II, London: Printed for Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, […], page 56:

     Almost all of the mustelas have a power of secreting and discharging a most fetid and intolerable stench at their will; and many of them do it as a mean of defence: and often so effectually that the very beast that pursues them is compelled to relinquish the chace, so completely is he overpowered by its noisome vapour.

   • 1859, S. F. Baird, “Part II. Zoology of the Boundary”, “Mammals”, in William H. Emory, editor, Report on the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey, Made under the Direction of the Secretary of the Interior, volume II, Washington: A. O. P. Nicholson, “9. FELIS YAGUARUNDI, Desm. (p. 88)”, page 12:

     Skull.—The skull of the Felis yaguarundi, in general shape, exhibits a close relationship to that of F. eyra, and, like it, much narrower and elongated than in the Felida concolor or pardalis; calling to mind the mustelas as much as the cats.

   • 1962, Acta Medica et Biologica, volume 10, page 193:

     Among the carnivores researched, the brain of bear seems to be the most highly differentiated as can be confirmed in the comparative anatomical features of the thalamus and hypothalamus (ITÔ, 1952; KOIKEGAMI, 1947), and that of the mustela is regarded as minimally developed, contrary to the opinion of JESERICH (1945).

Synonyms

• weasel

Anagrams

• amulets, muletas, ulmates

Interlingua

Noun

mustela (plural mustelas)

1. weasel

Latin

Alternative forms

• mūstella

Etymology

PIE word
*múh₂s

Probably from unattested form *mūstrelā, a diminutive from a Proto-Italic *mūstrā (“mouse-like animal”) (reflected in mūstricula (“last”)), related to mūs (“mouse”).
Other hypotheses include:

• From a Proto-Indo-European compound *múh₂s-dʰers-leh₂ (“mouse-grabber”).
• Cognate with Proto-Slavic *mystlь, *mystlъ (“flying squirrel”) and Ossetian мыстулӕг (mystulæg, “weasel”), said to be inherited from Proto-Indo-European; far more likely, though, this would represent a Wanderwort of which the source is either Latin or Scythian. The relationship (if any) between these words remains uncertain.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /muːsˈteː.la/, [muːs̠ˈt̪eːɫ̪ä]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /musˈte.la/, [musˈt̪ɛːlä]

Noun

mūstēla f (genitive mūstēlae); first declension

1. weasel

Declension

First-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	mūstēla	mūstēlae
Genitive	mūstēlae	mūstēlārum
Dative	mūstēlae	mūstēlīs
Accusative	mūstēlam	mūstēlās
Ablative	mūstēlā	mūstēlīs
Vocative	mūstēla	mūstēlae

Derived terms

• mūstēlīnus

Descendants

• Italo-Romance:
  • Italian: mustela
• Padanian:
  • Piedmontese: mostèila, mostaila
  • Romansch: mustaila
• Gallo-Romance:
  • Franco-Provençal: motêla ⇒ motelèta
  • Old French: moustoile
• Occitano-Romance:
  • Catalan: mostela, mustela
  • Occitan: mostèla, mostèl
• Ibero-Romance:
  • Spanish: mustela
  • Asturian: mustadiella
• Borrowings:
  • → English: mustela
  • → Translingual: Mustela

Further reading

• “mustela”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “mustela”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• mustela in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• “mustela”, in William Smith, editor (1848), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, London: John Murray