μυΐνδα παίζειν

μυΐνδα παίζειν,

A play at χαλκῆ μυῖα, Poll.9.110, 113, Hsch.

Grammatical information: f.

Meaning: `fly' (Il.).

Other forms: also μῦα

Compounds: Some compp., e.g. μυ(ι)ο-σόβη f. `fan against flies, fly-flap' (Delos III<sup>a</sup>, Men.), μύωψ m. `horse-fly; goad, spur' (s. v.), κυνά-μυια f. `dog-fly' (s. v.).

Derivatives: 1. μυϊ̃τις, - ιδος f. = θλάσπι, `Capsella bursa pastoris' (Ps.-Dsc.; Redard 71), also μυιό-πτερον (ibd.), as the separating wall of the fruit was compared with the wing of a fly (Strömberg Pflanzennamen 55). -- 2. μυιϊκός `belonging to a fly' (gloss.), μυιώδης name of a god in Elis, who was also called μυί-αγρος "fly-catcher" (Plin.). -- 3. μυΐνδα παίζειν `play the game μυῖα χαλκῆ' (Poll., H.).

Origin: IE [Indo-European] [752]

Etymology: Formation with ι̯α-suffix like νῆσσα, κίσσα and other animals' names (Chantraine Form. 98). Old word for `fly, mosquito', found in several languages, but because of its popular character subject to all kinds of transformations. PGr. *μύσ-ι̯α, from where μυῖα, agrees best with Lith. mus-ià, mus-ė̃ `fly' and with Slav., e.g. OCS mьš-i-ca `mosquito'. Beside it with k-suffix Lat. mus-ca `fly', with n-suffix Arm. mun, gen. mn-oy `mosquito', if from * mus-no-. Also an s-less basis * mu-no- is possible as a.o. in OWNo. my n. from PNord. *mū-i̯a- n. There are also forms with (secondarily developped ?) velar: Germ., e.g. OHG mucka ' Mücke', with ou-diphthong: Slav., e.g. OCS and Russ. múcha `fly' (IE * mousā) etc., s. WP. 2, 311, Pok. 752, W.-Hofmann s. musca, Fraenkel s. musė̃, Vasmer s. móška; everywhere more forms; on the morphology also Specht Ursprung 43, 203 a. 235. -- Onomatop. origin (from the humming) is quite possible, s. e.g. W.-Hofmann.

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