The term mandible was first introduced in a surgical manual from the early fifteenth century, derived directly from the Latin word mandibula, which means “jaw”. This word originates from the Latin verb mandere, meaning “to chew”, and can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root mendh, also meaning “chew”. This root also influenced the Ancient Greek word mastax, Medieval Greek moustakion, Italian mostaccio, and eventually evolved into the English word moustache (often spelled mustache in American English). Additionally, mendh developed into another Latin verb for “chew”, masticare, which later entered the English language as masticate. It’s fascinating to see how these words all share a common origin!
