mullus

Forms

mūllus m (genitive mūllī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek μύλλος (múllos, “red mullet”), which the OLD relates to μέλας (mélas, “black”) and μίλτος (míltos, “red earth”).^[2][1][3] Pliny reports Fenestella's view that the fish was named from the colour of the red ⟨mullei⟩ shoes, and Isidore says it is so called because it is soft (⟨mollis⟩).^[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lewis and Short cite Varro, and Köbler starts with Cicero; he dates Varro 116–27 BC and Cicero 81–43 BC.^[5][6]

Semantic evolution

It meant the red mullet, a highly prized fish, as in Varro and Pliny, and Cicero mentions mullī barbātī “bearded mullets” in fishponds.^[2][5][7] Seneca also mentions it.^[7] Isidore reports a belief that eating it checks lust but dulls the eyes.^[4]

British Medieval Latin used it of the red mullet.^[8] English mullet came in the late 14th century through Anglo-French and Old French mulet.^[9][1]

Timeline

• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it.^[5][6]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero mentions mullets in fishponds.^[5][6]
• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny describes it.^[2][6]
• late 14th century – English mullet is recorded.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. The red mullet.^[2][5]

Related words

• mulleus
• English mullet

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).
5. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
8. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com