μῦς + χαλάω
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English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
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Quotation
Μασχάλη. ἀπὸ τοῦ κεχαλᾶσθαι εἰς μαστὸν, ἢ εἰς ἣν χαλᾶται ὁ μῦς, ἢ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀλέας τῆς διὰ τὴν καμπὴν τοῦ σώματος. οὕτω Σωρανός. ὁ δὲ Ἡρακλείδης ἀπὸ τοῦ μαστεύειν τι ὑπ’ αὐτήν· ἐπειδὴ οἱ ὑφαιρούμενοι ὑπ’ αὐτὴν κρύπτουσι.
Translation (En)
Maskhalē "armpit": from "to be loosened" (kekhalâsthai) toward the breast, the one toward which the muscle (mūs) relaxes (khalâtai), or from the heat produced by the body's bending. This is what Soranus says. But Heraclides says it comes from masteuō "to seek": one seeks something under it, because thieves hide <their theft> under it.
Parallels
Orion, Etymologicum (excepta e cod. regio Paris. 2630), p. 187 (Μασχάλη· παρὰ τὸ εἰς μασ<τ>ὸν χαλᾶσθαι· ἢ παρὰ τὸ σχῶ σχήσω σχήλη, ὡς στήσω στήλη, καὶ μεταθέσει τοῦ η εἰς α, σχάλη, καὶ πλεονασμῷ τῆς μα συλλαβῆς, μασχάλη, ἡ λίαν κατέχουσα ἅτινα ἂν σχῇ· ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ χαλᾶσθαι εἰς μαστόν· ἢ εἰς ἣν χαλᾶται ὁ μῦς· ἢ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀλέας τῆς διὰ τὴν καμπὴν τοῦ σώματος. οὕτω Σωρανός. ὁ δὲ Ἡρακλείδης ἀπὸ τοῦ μαστεύειν τὶ ὑπ’ αὐτὴν, ἐπειδὴ οἱ ὑφαιρούμενοί τι ὑπ’ αὐτὴν κρύπτουσιν); Etym. Gudianum, mu, p. 381 (idem); Meletius, De natura hominis, p. 119 (ἡ οὖν μασχάλη ἐτυμολογεῖται παρὰ τὸ λίαν κατέχειν ἅτινα ἂν σχῇ· ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ κεχαλᾶσθαι εἰς μαστόν· ἢ εἰς ἣν χαλᾶται ὁ μῦς· ἢ παρὰ τὸ μαστεύειν τι ὑπ’ αὐτήν· ἐπειδὴ ἀφαιρούμενοί τι ἐξ ἄλλων κρύπτομεν); Joannes Mauropus, Etymologica nominum 214 (Μύες χαλῶντες συγχαλῶσι μασχάλην); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 574 (Μασχάλη: Παρὰ τὸ κεχαλᾶσθαι εἰς μαστὸν, ἢ εἰς ἣν χαλᾶται ὁ μῦς· ἢ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀλέας τῆς διὰ τὴν καμπὴν τοῦ σώματος· ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ μαστεύειν τι ὑπ’ αὐτὴν, ἐπειδὴ οἱ ὑφαιρούμενοι τι ὑπ’ αὐτὴν κρύπτουσιν. Ἢ ἐκ τοῦ σχῶ σχήσω σχήλη, ὡς στήσω στήλη, καὶ μεταθέσει τοῦ η εἰς α σχάλη, καὶ κατὰ μετάπλασιν τῆς ΜΑ συλλαβῆς μασχάλη)
Comment
Compositional etymology: the armpit is the place where the muscle (μῦς) becomes lax. As a matter of fact, there is no muscle in this place. The main etymon is χαλάω "to relax", which provides the second and third syllables, and the first syllable was accounted for in different ways. Here the assumed etymon is μῦς "muscle" (etymologically "mouse"), and the etymology requires a change of [u] to [a], which remains implicit. The etymology was mentioned in Soranus' treatise, although it is not certain he subscribed to it.