muffle

From Middle English muflen (“to muffle”), aphetic alteration of Anglo-Norman amoufler, from Old French enmoufler (“to wrap up, muffle”), from moufle (“mitten”), from Medieval Latin muffula (“a muff”), of Germanic origin (—first recorded in the Capitulary of Aachen in 817 C.E.), from Frankish muffël (“a muff, wrap, envelope”) from mauwa (“sleeve, wrap”) (from Proto-Germanic mawwō (“sleeve”)) + vël (“skin, hide”) (from Proto-Germanic fellą (“skin, film, fleece”). Alternate etymology traces the Medieval Latin word to Frankish molfell (“soft garment made of hide”) from mol (“softened, forworn”) (akin to Old High German molawēn (“to soften”), Middle High German molwic (“soft”), English mulch) + fell (“hide, skin”).