Mouth
/maʊθ/noun
The opening in the face used for eating, speaking, and breathing.
Did you know?English mouth descends from a Proto-Indo-European root *muH-/*mew- associated with the act of speaking, which is why words for “mouth” and “speech” often stay mysteriously linked across ancient languages.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*muH- / *mew-
“To speak, murmur, or make sounds with the mouth”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*munþaz
“Mouth”
Old English
English
mūþ
“Mouth; opening; entrance”
Middle English
English
mouth
“Mouth”
Modern English
English
mouth
“The opening in the face used for eating, speaking, and breathing”