Word of the Week – Muffle

When we think of muffle and mufflers today, we tend to think of things that deaden sound…but that meaning didn’t actually come into English until the 1760s, and it was a direct result of the words’ first meanings: “to cover or wrap something to seal of protect it.” Muffle came to us from French, where moufle means “mitten or thick glove,” implying that the original “cover or wrap” was to protect against cold.

This meaning of the verb muffle dates from the early 1400s, and by the early 1500s, muffler meant a scarf or something worn to protect the face and neck from cold.

Of course, wrapping things up does help deaden sound, so it’s only natural that the meaning began to shift to include that side-effect.

Are you a fan of scarves and gloves? When the weather’s chilly, I rarely go out without them! (My husband and son, on the other hand…)

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