musettes

Musettes is the plural of musette, a term with several related meanings in music and everyday life. The word originates in French and is used in both English and French contexts.

In music, a musette refers to a type of small bagpipe or to tunes associated with that instrument. The musette de cour, a courtly version of the bagpipe, and related folk and salon pieces were popular in 17th and 18th-century France. In musical descriptions, works written for the musette or imitating its drone and reedy timbre may be labeled as musette music.

In practical use, musette denotes a lightweight shoulder bag or knapsack. Historically, soldiers, travelers, and market porters wore musettes to carry rations, tools, or personal items. The term can describe a single bag or, in the plural, multiple bags used by a group. In alpine and rural contexts, musettes were common provisions bags and carried on the body or by a strap.

In modern usage, musette-style bags have endured as fashion items, evolving into contemporary crossbody and casual day bags. The term also appears in vintage or museum contexts to describe historical bags or musical instruments. Overall, musette and musettes connect a family of portable bags with a distinctive musical instrument tradition, reflecting both utility and cultural history.