Traditionally derived from मूष् (mūṣ, “mouse”) + -क (-ka, diminutive suffix), the shape of human testicles being compared to mice. However, Lubotsky is skeptical of this derivation due to the short u vowel in मुष्क implying the lack of a laryngeal, as opposed to the long ū in मूष्.
मुष्क • (muṣká) stem, m
| Masculine a-stem declension of मुष्क (muṣká) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Dual | Plural | |
| Nominative | मुष्कः muṣkáḥ |
मुष्कौ / मुष्का¹ muṣkaú / muṣkā́¹ |
मुष्काः / मुष्कासः¹ muṣkā́ḥ / muṣkā́saḥ¹ |
| Vocative | मुष्क múṣka |
मुष्कौ / मुष्का¹ múṣkau / múṣkā¹ |
मुष्काः / मुष्कासः¹ múṣkāḥ / múṣkāsaḥ¹ |
| Accusative | मुष्कम् muṣkám |
मुष्कौ / मुष्का¹ muṣkaú / muṣkā́¹ |
मुष्कान् muṣkā́n |
| Instrumental | मुष्केण muṣkéṇa |
मुष्काभ्याम् muṣkā́bhyām |
मुष्कैः / मुष्केभिः¹ muṣkaíḥ / muṣkébhiḥ¹ |
| Dative | मुष्काय muṣkā́ya |
मुष्काभ्याम् muṣkā́bhyām |
मुष्केभ्यः muṣkébhyaḥ |
| Ablative | मुष्कात् muṣkā́t |
मुष्काभ्याम् muṣkā́bhyām |
मुष्केभ्यः muṣkébhyaḥ |
| Genitive | मुष्कस्य muṣkásya |
मुष्कयोः muṣkáyoḥ |
मुष्काणाम् muṣkā́ṇām |
| Locative | मुष्के muṣké |
मुष्कयोः muṣkáyoḥ |
मुष्केषु muṣkéṣu |
| Notes |
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