Where does “mule” come from?
Mule comes from Latin mulus, which derives from Proto-Indo-European mukslós, a word of uncertain ultimate origin referring to the hybrid animal.
mule (English): The generally sterile male or female hybrid...
Definitions
- The generally sterile male or female hybrid...
Ancestry of “mule”, step by step
mule traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle French mule
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | mule | slipper |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | mula | — |
| 3 | Latin | mulleus | of a red color (said of shoes) |
| 4 | Latin | -eus | argentum + API → argenteus; ferrum + API →... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -εῖος | Forms adjectives, usually with a meaning of "of"... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHwós | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -wós | Creates adjectives from verb stems |