Mu
/muː/noun
The 12th letter of the Greek alphabet, written Μ or μ, and a symbol used in science and mathematics.
Did you know?Greek mu ultimately descends from the Semitic letter mem, whose name is connected with the word for “water,” likely because the earliest symbol resembled waves.
Etymological Timeline
2nd Millennium BCE
Proto-Canaanite
𐤌
“A pictographic letter associated with water”
1200–1000 BCE
Phoenician
𐤌 mem
“The letter mem, named for water”
8th Century BCE
Ancient Greek
Μῦ mû
“The Greek letter mu, inherited from Semitic mem”
1st Century BCE
Latin
mu
“The Greek letter name used in Latin writing and scholarship”
Middle English period
English
mu
“The name of the Greek letter”
Modern English
English
mu
“The Greek letter μ, also used as a scientific symbol for micro-, coefficient of friction, and other quantities”