- μύαξ
- μύαξ, -ᾰκοςGrammatical information: m.Meaning: `sea-mussel, its shell' (medic., Plin.); `spoon' (from `shell'; medic.).Origin: PG [a word of Pre-Greek origin]Etymology: Formation as ἀσπάλαξ, μέμβραξ, ὕραξ and other animals' names (Chantraine Form. 378f.). Like μυΐσκη, -ος `id.' prob. from μῦς, which can also mean `mussel'; cf. also Lat. mūsculus also `mussel'; s. Strömberg Fischnamen 109. Diff. Fick a.o. (s. WP. 2, 251): to a word for `moss' in Lat. muscus a.o.; cf. esp. NHG Mies-muschel. Diff. again L. Meyer 4, 291: to μύω `shut (oneself)'. -- With μύαξ can be identical Lat. mūrex `purple (snail)' as inherited word, s. W.-Hofmann s.v. For Mediterranan origin of mūrex Ernout-Meillet; thus also on μύαξ Chantraine Form. 378; DELG rejects all hypotheses. - The suffix -αξ however is typically Pre-Greek; is it possible that this was added to the IE word *mūs `mouse'? (Not in Fur.)Page in Frisk: 2,262-263
Greek-English etymological dictionary (Ελληνικά-Αγγλικά ετυμολογική λεξικό). Robert S.P.. 2010.