Mascot: Etymology from Arabic "Lucky Charm" to Team Symbol

Mascot traces back:

1. Arabic mas'ūd (مُسْعُود) – “lucky, fortunate”
2. Provençal mascoto – “charm, spell”
3. French mascotte – “lucky charm” (popularized by 1880 operetta La Mascotte)
4. English mascot (1881) – first recorded for a live goose kept by a British regiment for luck

Today: any person, animal, or object adopted as a symbolic luck-bringer for teams, schools, brands.