Origin: 1250–1300;Middle English < Old French, equivalent to mors a bite (< Latinmorsum something bitten off, noun use of neuter of morsus, past participle of mordēre to bite) + -el < Latin-ellus diminutive suffix; see -elle
late 13c., from O.Fr. morsel (Fr. marceau) "small bite," dim. of mors "a bite," from L. morsus "biting, bite," neut. pp. of mordere "to bite" (see mordant).