From Proto-Indo-Iranian *muškas, which is traditionally derived synchronically from मूष् (mūṣ, “mouse”) + -क (-ka, diminutive suffix), the shape of human testicles being compared to mice. A similar usage of "mouse" to describe a body part is also found in Latin mūsculus (“muscle”).[1][2] However, Lubotsky is skeptical of this derivation due to the short u vowel in मुष्क (muṣka) implying the lack of a laryngeal, as opposed to the long ū in मूष् (mūṣ), and leaves the origin open.[3]
मुष्क • (muṣká) stem, m
| singular | dual | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | मुष्कः (muṣkáḥ) | मुष्कौ (muṣkaú) मुष्का¹ (muṣkā́¹) |
मुष्काः (muṣkā́ḥ) मुष्कासः¹ (muṣkā́saḥ¹) |
| vocative | मुष्क (múṣka) | मुष्कौ (múṣkau) मुष्का¹ (múṣkā¹) |
मुष्काः (múṣkāḥ) मुष्कासः¹ (múṣkāsaḥ¹) |
| accusative | मुष्कम् (muṣkám) | मुष्कौ (muṣkaú) मुष्का¹ (muṣkā́¹) |
मुष्कान् (muṣkā́n) |
| instrumental | मुष्केण (muṣkéṇa) | मुष्काभ्याम् (muṣkā́bhyām) | मुष्कैः (muṣkaíḥ) मुष्केभिः¹ (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) |