LL-L 'Etymology' 2007.01.15 (05) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 15 January 2007 - Volume 05

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From: David Barrow <davidab at telefonica.net.pe>
Subject: LL-L 'Etymology' 2007.01.15 (01) [E]

My friends and I were playing the game Munchkin this evening, which is a
sort of spoof on role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons.  The
cards are quite funny, and I was explaining to them (who are German and
Mexican) what some of the puns and cultural references meant (ex: Rapier
Twit, The Shadow Nose, etc.).  At one point one of them asked me what
exactly a munchkin was.  While explaining it to them, I couldn't help
wondering what the etymology of the word is.  The -kin part is clear,
but 'munch?'  It's obviously not to do with eating anything, and to me
it's way to close to 'Mensch' to discount.

A quick google search only related it to the Wizard of Oz, and I can't
access the OED online anymore since I'm no longer a student, so I'm
asking people here for their ideas, opinions, and research to answer the
question of the background of the word.

Yiddish, perhaps?

Groetjes,
 Leslie
 Leslie,

Wikipedia also relates it to Oz

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munchkin

David

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