Etymology

Formed on the ME v. moulen, always derived from ON (*mugla), which provides the best comparandum although the precise etymon is not recorded; no OE formation on a similar stem is attested (Dance 2003: 369). Cp. OIcel mygla (v.) 'to grow muggy or musty', formed on the base *mug- of the v. represented by OIcel mugga ‘mugginess, soft drizzling mist’ (cp. muged (v.)).

PGmc Ancestor

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

cp. mygla (v.) 'to grow muggy or musty'
(ONP cp. mygla (vb.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

cp. Icel mygla, Norw mygla, ODan mul, Dan dial mugle, OSw möghla, Sw mögla, Sw dial mögel

OE Cognate

Phonological and morphological markers

Summary category

B1

Attestation

This is the earliest attestation of the vbl. n. in ME, otherwise known from a handful of scattered 15c. texts. The ME v. moulen, first attested in c1230(?a1200) Ancr. (Corp-C 402), is more common.

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

Erk 86

Bibliography

MED mǒuling(e (ger.) , OED3 mouling (n.) , HTOED , de Vries mygla, Mag. mygla (1)