Where does “mules” come from?
Mules comes from Latin mulus, which derives from Proto-Indo-European mukslós, a term for hybrid animals or beasts of burden used in ancient trade and agriculture.
mules (English): plural of mule; Third-person singular simple...
Definitions
- plural of mule; Third-person singular simple...
Ancestry of “mules”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | mule | The generally sterile male or female hybrid... |
| 2 | Middle French | mule | slipper |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | mula | — |
| 4 | Latin | mulleus | of a red color (said of shoes) |
| 5 | Latin | -eus | argentum + API → argenteus; ferrum + API →... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -εῖος | Forms adjectives, usually with a meaning of "of"... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHwós | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -wós | Creates adjectives from verb stems |