Where does “mule” come from?

mule (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch mūla, from Proto-Germanic mūlō, from Proto-Germanic mūlô, from Proto-Indo-European mū- — fly, mosquito; fly, midge; lips, muzzle.

Ancestry of “mule”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Dutchmūla—
2Proto-Germanicmūlōmuzzle
3Proto-Germanicmūlômuzzle
4Proto-Indo-Europeanmū-fly, mosquito; fly, midge; lips, muzzle

Words derived from “mule”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European mū- →Every word from Proto-Germanic mūlô →Every word from Proto-Germanic mūlō →