Etymology

The only apparent occurrence of this word before ME outside Scandinavian is in late OE, as the second element of the placename Hlosmoc, and so it is usually derived from ON, cp. OIcel mykr, myki 'manure'.

PGmc Ancestor

*mukjo-

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

mykr, myki 'manure'
(ONP mykr (sb.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Norw myk, Dan. møg, Sw. dial. mök

OE Cognate

?*moc, cp. Hlosmoc

Phonological and morphological markers

Summary category

B1

Attestation

Fairly widespread since the early fourteenth century.

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

Pe 905

Bibliography

MED muk (n.) , OED muck (n.1) , HTOED , EDD muck (sb., v. and adj.), Bj. 250, de Vries mykr, Mag. mykja