mygalen.

Etymology: < post-classical Latin mygale (Vetus Latina; already in classical Latin (Columella) as a Greek loanword) < ancient Greek μυγαλῆ (uncontracted μυγαλέη ) shrew (see note) < μυ- , combining form of μῦς rat, mouse (see myo- comb. form) + γαλῆ (uncontracted γαλέη ) weasel, marten, polecat, ferret (see galeopithecus n.). In sense 2 adopted as a genus name on account of the spider's appearance, perhaps influenced by classical Latin mūs arāneus shrew-mouse (see muset n.²). Compare French mygale (1568 in sense 1, 1802 in sense 2).The small mammal referred to by the ancient Greek word has usually been taken to be the shrew (compare quots. 1607 at sense 1, 1828 at sense 1), though Liddell & Scott's Greek–Eng. Lexicon (ed. 9, 1940) gives also ‘field-mouse’. Hebrew 'ănāqāh is rendered as μυγαλῆ in the Septuagint (Leviticus 11:30) and as ferret in the King James Bible (compare quots. a1382 at sense 1, a1398 at sense 1; the Latin text of Bartholomaeus Anglicus has simply mygale ): most modern translations interpret the Hebrew as referring to some kind of reptile. The post-classical Latin word has also been glossed as ‘ermine’ (e.g. Old English hearma glossing megale in Épinal Gloss.). The name was first applied to spiders (sense 2) by C. A. Walckenaer, but according to P. Bonnet ( Bibliographia Araneorum (1957) II. 2989) his use survives in print only in French (les mygales: Walckenaer Faune Parisiennes: Insectes (1802) 249), and it is not clear to which species his genus name would have applied. Latreille reproduced Walckenaer's genus name reluctantly, since it had historically been associated with a mammal, and had already been used by Cuvier for the desman ( Leçons Compar. Anat. (1800) Table 1); but Latreille's use was unambiguous and the name thus became taxonomically available for the spider. It was long assumed by spider taxonomists that Cuvier's name took priority over Latreille's, but Cuvier's use was probably insufficient to make the name available for the mammal and Mygale Cuvier 1800 is listed as a nomen nudum in C. D. Sherborn's Index Animalium (1902). Cuvier's name was amended to Myogalea by J. B. Fischer (1829) and to Myogale by Brandt (1836), but Desmana Güldenstaedt 1777 has priority as the genus name for the desman.