Musca
/ˈmʌskə/noun
A Latin word meaning a fly; also the scientific genus name for houseflies and related flies.
Did you know?The Latin *musca* gave rise to words and names in Romance languages and even appears in scientific taxonomy, where the old Roman word still labels fly genera today.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*muHs- / *mūs-
“A reconstructed root associated with flies or buzzing insects (etymology ultimately uncertain).”
Latin
Latin
musca
“A fly.”
Late Latin
Latin
musca
“A fly; the inherited everyday word continued in spoken usage.”
Old French
Old French
mouche
“A fly.”
Modern English
English
musca
“A taxonomic genus name used for flies, especially the housefly group.”