An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Mause

by Friedrich Kluge

Mause, Mauser; feminine, ‘moulting, casting the skin, moulting season,’ from Middle High German mûȥe, feminine (in compounds mûȥer). ‘mewing, moulting’; Old High German *mûȥȥa, feminine, ‘moulting,’ is not recorded; allied to Old High German mûȥȥôn, Middle High German mûȥen, ‘to exchange for,’ Middle High German also especially ‘to moult, cast the skin.’ Borrowed before the Old High German period (contemporaneously with Käfig, Pfau, and Pips) from Latin mûtâre, hence the permutation of t to ȥ (Middle Latin mûta, ‘moulting’); sz has been preserved in Bavarian maußen. From the same source are derived Anglo-Saxon bimûtian, ‘to change, exchange,’ Middle English moutin, English to moult, as well as French muer, ‘to moult,’ mue, ‘moulting.’