Muddle
/ˈmʌd.əl/noun
To mix up or confuse; also, a confused state or mess.
Did you know?The exact origin of *muddle* is uncertain, but it appears in English in the 16th century with a strong sense of stirring or mixing into disorder, not a mystical meaning.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*meu-
“to wet, moisten, or be damp”
Old English
OE
mūd
“mud, mire, or soft wet earth”
Middle English
ME
muddlen
“to stir or mix up into a wet, confused mass”
16th Century
English
muddle
“to make muddled or confused; to mix in a disorderly way”
Modern English
English
muddle
“to confuse, mix up, or become disordered”