mummer
English
WOTD – 16 March 2008
Etymology
From a conflation of "mummer"; one that keeps silent, from mum, ultimately of imitative origin, and Old French momeor, from mommer (“to wear a mask”), from momon (“mask”). Compare German Mumme (“mask”), 16th Century German mummen (“to disguise oneself”), Middle Dutch mommen, mummen (“to go about in a mask, to disguise”), Middle Low Saxon mommen (“to wear a mask, to disguise”), Dutch mom (“mask”) and to mask as well as Spanish momo (“grimace”).
Perhaps both of the conflated terms are from the same ultimate root, as note Middle Low Saxon mummen (“to speak indistinctly, to disguise oneself”), Dutch mommen (“to speak indistinctly”), German mummen (“to speak indistinctly”), mump (“to grimace, to mumble”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈmʌm.ə/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈmʌm.ɚ/
Audio (US) (file)
Noun
mummer (plural mummers)
Synonyms
- (actor in a pantomime): mime
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