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I found the etymology of 「眉{まゆ}」 from [眉／まゆ - 語源由来辞典](https://gogen-
yurai.jp/mayuge)

> 眉は目の上にあることから、「マノウヘ（目の上）」もしくは「マウヘ（目上）」の意味と考えられる。
>
> ただし、古くは「マヨ」と言い、「マヨ」が音変化して「まゆ」となっている。
>
> そのため、「マノウヘ」「マウヘ」が直接音変化したものではなく、「目の上」の意味を表す言葉に「マヨ」があり、それが音変化したと考えられる。

In short, 「眉{まゆ}」 has something to do with 目{め} and 上{うえ}, thus becoming
眉{まゆ}.

Why is the pronunciation of 「眉{まゆ}」 and 「繭{まゆ}」 the same? What's the etymology
of 「繭{まゆ}」? And what's the etymological linkage of 「眉{まゆ}」and「繭{まゆ}」?
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85830
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etymology pronunciation nouns
What's the etymological linkage of 「眉{まゆ}」and「繭{まゆ}」?
## _What's the etymological linkage of 「眉{まゆ}」and「繭{まゆ}」?_

Ultimately, uncertain.

## What can we say about these etymologically?

We do have some historical data on both terms.

We know that both were previously read as _mayo_.

  * Shogakukan's 国語大辞典【こくごだいじてん】 (KDJ) entry [for 繭【まゆ】 ("cocoon")](https://kotobank.jp/word/%E7%B9%AD-137237#E7.B2.BE.E9.81.B8.E7.89.88.20.E6.97.A5.E6.9C.AC.E5.9B.BD.E8.AA.9E.E5.A4.A7.E8.BE.9E.E5.85.B8) indicates that this is first attested in the [万葉集【まんようしゅう】](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man%27y%C5%8Dsh%C5%AB) of 759 with a reading of _mayo_.
  * The KDJ entry [for 眉【まゆ】 ("eyebrow")](https://kotobank.jp/word/%E7%9C%89-607600#E7.B2.BE.E9.81.B8.E7.89.88.20.E6.97.A5.E6.9C.AC.E5.9B.BD.E8.AA.9E.E5.A4.A7.E8.BE.9E.E5.85.B8) indicates a first attestation in a document from 740 in the [正倉院文書【しょうそういんもんじょ】](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%AD%A3%E5%80%89%E9%99%A2%E6%96%87%E6%9B%B8) (Japanese Wikipedia), also with a reading of _mayo_. 
    * The 正倉院文書【しょうそういんもんじょ】 is a collection of over 10,000 documents from the [Nara period](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nara_period) (710–794). Princeton has a website dedicated to these in English [here](https://shosoin.princeton.edu/).

We also know that both terms are read in modern Japanese with a reading of
[まゆ]{HL}, with the same pitch accent pattern.

### Speculation:

It seems likely that these terms could well be related. Even in English, it's
not uncommon for people to analogize bushy eyebrows with hairy caterpillars.
Considering the prevalence of the silkworm in ancient Japan for its importance
in textile manufacture, and that the silkworm [is not a hairy
caterpillar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombyx_mori), I think it might be
reasonable to imagine that someone would analogize eyebrows and cocoons
instead.

### What Gogen Allguide has to say

I think you're slightly misinterpreting the Gogen Allguide entry. That text
explicitly says that Old Japanese まよ did _not_ derive from 目の上 directly, but
rather that there was the term まよ that happened to refer to 目の上, and that まよ
underwent a sound shift.
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