late 14c., mewet "silent," from Old French muet "dumb, mute" (12c.), diminutive of mut, mo, from Latin mutus "silent, speechless, dumb," probably from imitative base *meue- (cognates: Sanskrit mukah "dumb," Greek myein "to be shut," of the mouth). Form assimilated in 16c. to Latin mutus.
mute (v.)
"deaden the sound of," 1861, from mute (n.). Related: Muted; muting.
mute (n.)
1570s, "stage actor in a dumb show;" 1610s as "person who does not speak," from mute (adj.). Musical sense first recorded 1811 of stringed instruments, 1841, of horns.
例文
1. He sat mute ,speechless with ecstasy,gazing into the sky.
彼は静かに座って、空を見つめて、何も言わずに心を馳せていた。
2.I threw a mute look of appeal at Paula.
私は黙ってポーラに懇願の目を向けた。
3.Marianna,the duke 's daughter,became mute after a shock.