mundtot

German

Etymology

Originally (17th century) a juridical term meaning “legally incapable”, in which mund- is the now obsolete word Middle High German munt (“protection, guardianship”), from Old High German munt, from Proto-Germanic *mundō. Later reanalyzed as Mund (“mouth”) +‎ tot (“dead”) and semantically reinterpreted accordingly.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmʊn(t)ˌtoːt/

• Audio:

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Adjective

mundtot (comparative mundtoter, superlative am mundtotesten)

1. silenced (unable to express one’s will or opinion)

Descendants

• Dutch: monddood