Etymologically
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mulus

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈmuː.ɫʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈmuː.lus][1]

Forms

mūlus m (genitive mūlī); second declension[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *musklo-, or *mukslo-, probably a loanword that came into Europe from Asia Minor in the form *musk- or *muks-.[2][3][1] Cognate with Ancient Greek μυχλός (mukhlós, “breeding ass”), Albanian mushk (“mule”) and Old East Slavic мьскъ (mĭskŭ, “mule”).[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus speaks of mules that cost more than horses.[5][2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

In Classical Latin it was a mule, strictly the offspring of a mare and a male ass, as Varro's carriage mules and Cicero's pack mule.[4][5] The proverb mūtuum mūlī scabunt “mules scratch each other” meant one good turn deserves another.[4][7] Catullus uses it of a fool, and Marius' soldiers were nicknamed mūlī Mariānī from their heavy packs.[7][4]

Through Old English mūl and Old French mul it gave English mule.[3] It survives as Italian mulo, Spanish mulo and Romanian mul.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[2][6]
  • 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus uses it of a fool.[7][6]
  • Old English – mūl “mule” is borrowed from it.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A mule.[4][5]
  2. A fool, ass.[7][1]
  3. Mūlī Mariānī, Marius' soldiers.[4]

Word family

  • mūla
  • mūlāris
  • mūlīnus
  • mūliō
  • mulomedicina
  • mulomedicus
  • mūliōnicus
  • mūlocisiārius

Usage notes

Festus says the mule draws the chariot of the Moon because the Moon is as barren as a mule.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.