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Help[Facts] Mushkie/Mushka/Mussya/Mussia
I know a lot of Chabad women named Chaya Mushka after the Rebbetzin, often called Mushkie or Mushka or Mussia. This website says the name originally came from Muskat, meaning nutmeg, but I've never met anyone named that. I'm curious the origin of that - when did Muskat become a name? How do we know that's what Mushka comes from?
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TIL that Moussia is an Ukrainian hypochorisitc form of Maria. In a Jewish context it can be Miryam. Mushka is than a diminutive of Moussia.
An an aside: One of the Soviet space dogs was named Mushka with the Russian meaning "little fly". Mushka didn't survive the space flight, the capsule was destroyed on reentry to Earth.
An an aside: One of the Soviet space dogs was named Mushka with the Russian meaning "little fly". Mushka didn't survive the space flight, the capsule was destroyed on reentry to Earth.
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The most accepted theory is that Mushka comes from Muskat, meaning nutmeg, due to its pleasant and fragrant connotations. While the exact moment when Muskat became associated with a personal name is not clear, the name gained widespread use in the 20th century, especially after the Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson became a prominent figure within Chabad. The name Mushka has a soft, endearing quality, and over time, it became associated with warmth, kindness, and sweetness, which are qualities many families hoped to convey when naming a daughter.
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