mule

mule · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Italic*musklos?
2. Latinmūlus
3. Latinmūla
4. Anglo-Normanmule
5. Latinmūlus
6. Proto-West Germanic*mūl
7. Old Englishmūl
8. Middle Englishmule
9. English todaymule

Inherited from Middle English mule, from Anglo-Norman mule (“she-mule”) and Old English mūl, both ultimately from Latin mūlus, from Proto-Indo-European *mukslós. Compare Late Latin muscellus (“young he-mule”), Old East Slavic мъшкъ (mŭškŭ, “mule”), Ancient Greek (Phocian) μυχλός (mukhlós, “he-ass”), and German Maul Maultier, Maulesel (through Latin).

mule · noun²

1. Classical Latinmulleus
2. Medieval Latinmula
3. Middle Frenchmule
4. English todaymule

From Middle French mule (“backless slipper”), from Medieval Latin mula (“slipper, shoe with a thick sole”), presumably from classical Latin mulleus, the dyed shoe of either the patricians or senators, from mūllus (“red mullet”) + -eus (“-y: forming adjectives”), from Ancient Greek μύλλος (múllos).

Mule · proper noun³

1. French · borrowed fromMule
2. Italian · borrowed fromMulè
3. Middle English · derived frommule“mule”
4. English todayMule

Various origins: * A nickname for a stubborn person, from Middle English mule (“mule”) or, alternatively, an occupational surname for a driver of pack animals. * Borrowed from Italian Mulè. * Borrowed from French Mule.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 18th c. A hybrid plant.