Diminutive form ofOld Frenchmugue ormuguete(“musk”) (compareFrenchmuguet), frommuscade, fromLatinmuscada, feminine ofmuscat(“musky”), fromAncient Greekμόσχος(móskhos), fromMiddle Persian*mušk(“musk”), ultimately fromSanskritमुष्क(muṣka,“testicle”), the shape of the gland being similar.