Why is a mouse called a mouse? - briefly
The name derives from Old English mus, a cognate of Latin mus and related Germanic terms that historically denoted the small rodent. Early speakers applied this short, descriptive word to the creature because of its diminutive size and characteristic shape.
Why is a mouse called a mouse? - in detail
The term for the small rodent derives from Old English mus, which traces back to Proto‑Germanic musaz and ultimately to the Proto‑Indo‑European root mūs. The same root produced Latin mus and Greek μῦς (mys), both meaning “mouse.” Throughout European languages the word retained a similar phonetic shape, reflecting a shared linguistic heritage rather than a later invention.
In medieval English the word appeared in texts such as the Anglo‑Saxon Chronicle and the Domesday Book, confirming its long‑standing use for the animal. The spelling settled as “mouse” after the Norman Conquest, when Middle English orthography standardized the vowel representation.
The modern computing device adopted the name by analogy. When Douglas Engelbart’s team at the Stanford Research Institute created the first pointing instrument in 1963, its shape—a small, handheld block with a cord resembling a tail—evoked the appearance of the rodent. The device was deliberately labeled “mouse” in internal reports, and the nickname persisted in commercial products.
Key points of the naming history:
- Proto‑Indo‑European origin – root mūs → “mouse” in multiple ancient languages.
- Old English adoption – mus recorded in early medieval documents.
- Middle English evolution – spelling fixed as “mouse.”
- Computing analogy – 1960s device named for its tail‑like cord and diminutive form.
Thus the animal’s name stems from a deep linguistic lineage, while the computer peripheral borrowed the term because its physical characteristics reminded its inventors of the same creature.