From Proto-Sino-Tibetan. Cognate with Nuosu ꃅꇴ (mu gu), Burmese မီးခိုး (mi:hkui:), Naxi meelkeeq, Japhug tɤkhɯ, Chepang म्हेःकुः (hmeʔ.kuʔ), Lolopo alker, Newar कुँ (kũ), Tedim Chin khu¹.
मे़ॽखु (mê'khu)