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In medical Latin little mice on the body meant muscles. The origin of the word muscle is the Latin word musculus (plural musculi) which meant little mouse/rodent: mus + the diminutive culus. The word mus referred to rodents in general; it could mean rat or even larger rodents, such as a marmot. Mice and rats were distinguished by "little" and "big": Mus Minimus, "little" mouse Mus Maximus, "big" mouse/rat.

Anatomist and doctors came up with the name musculus because to them the muscles looked like the belly of a mouse/rodent.

Mus could also be used as a nickname for small people because a mouse/rodent is small.

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11y ago

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