Musette
/mjuːˈzɛt/noun
A small French bagpipe, or music written for that instrument.
Did you know?The musette became fashionable in 17th- and 18th-century France, where its soft, pastoral sound helped create an idealized image of rural life among the aristocracy.
Etymological Timeline
Medieval French
Old French
muse
“A bagpipe; the word is also connected in French to museau, “muzzle” or “snout,” though the deeper origin is uncertain.”
16th Century
French
musette
“A diminutive form meaning a small bagpipe.”
17th Century
French
musette
“A fashionable small bagpipe used in French court and pastoral music.”
18th Century
French
musette
“Music composed for, or imitating the sound of, the musette bagpipe.”
19th Century
English
musette
“An English borrowing for the French bagpipe and its characteristic musical style.”
Modern English
English
musette
“A small French bagpipe or a musical composition associated with it.”