An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/mühen

by Friedrich Kluge

mühen, vb., ‘to trouble, vex,’ from MidHG. müen, müejen, OHG. muoen, wk. vb., ‘to burden, torment, vex’; Du. moeijen, ‘to molest, take pains.’ The verbal adj. müde (Goth. *môþeis) points, like the vb., to an OTeut. and Aryan root mô, of which there are derivatives in the cognate languages, Gr. μῶ-λος, ‘toil, labour, espec. in war,’ μῶ-λυς, ‘exhausted by toil, languid, weak,’ Lat. mô-les, f., ‘exertion, toil, distress,’ &c., môlior, ‘to exert oneself.’ —