Etymology: In Old English < classical Latin mūlus (see below); in early Middle English reborrowed < Anglo-Norman and Old French mul male mule, and the corresponding feminine form mule female mule (both c1100; French mule female mule; in modern French the diminutive mulet mulet n. is used for the male mule) < classical Latin mūlus mule, and the corresponding feminine form mūla female mule, probably related to Byzantine Greek μυχλός male ass, Bulgarian măsk mule, Albanian mushk mule (compare also the rare classical Latin muscella she-ass); further etymology uncertain: probably of non-Indo-European origin. Compare Portuguese mulo (959), Spanish mulo (1042), Italian mulo (a1292) male mule, Portuguese mula (1113), Spanish mula (1207), Italian mula (1361) female mule. A 14th-cent. survival of Old English mūl may perhaps be found in the isolated form moul in the Göttingen manuscript of the Cursor Mundi (see quot. a1400 at sense 1a).Classical Latin mūlus was adopted at an early period into most of the Germanic languages ( > Middle Dutch muel , muul , muyl (Dutch muil ), Middle Low German mūl , Old High German mūl (Middle High German mūl ; early modern German maul ), Old Icelandic múll , Swedish mula , Danish mule ). In the later stages of continental Germanic the simple word largely gave way to compounds with an explanatory second element; compare e.g. Dutch muilezel and German Maulesel (showing respectively ezel , Esel ass: see ass n.¹), Middle High German mūltier (German Maultier ; showing Tier animal: see deer n.), German Maulpferd (showing Pferd , horse; compare palfrey n.), Swedish mulåsna (showing åsna ass), Danish mulæsel (showing æsel ass), muldyr (showing dyr , animal: see deer n.). With the proverb one mule doth scrub another (see Phrases) compare classical Latin mūtuum mūlī scabunt . With the phrase as stubborn as a mule (see Phrases) compare French opiniastre comme vne mule (Cotgrave, 1611), têtu comme une mule (1690). In sense 1b translating ancient Greek ἡμίονος (Aristotle Hist. Animalium 580^b1 in this sense, also generally used in sense 1a). Several of the senses are paralleled by French mulet mulet n., as denoting a hybrid plant (1765: see sense 4b), a hybrid animal (1768: see sense 4c), the worker of a social insect species (1762: see sense 6). On the forms muil , moil (compare moil n.²) see discussion s.v. recoil v.¹ and compare E. J. Dobson Eng. Pronunc. 1500–1700 (ed. 2, 1968) II. §260. Also attested in personal names, as e.g. Henr. le Muel (1249), Robm. le Mul (1256), Rogeri le Moyl (1266), though it is unclear whether these are to be interpreted as Middle English or Anglo-Norman. The word is perhaps also attested in place names, as e.g. Muleforda (c1110; now Moulsford, Berkshire), though it is perhaps more likely that these place names are derived from the Old English personal name Mūl, Mūla (compare Old Icelandic personal name Múli).

Etymology: < Middle French mules (plural) chilblains (1314 in Old French), sores on a horse's pastern (c1340), mule (singular) woman's slipper with heel uncovered (first attested 1556, although perhaps considerably earlier) < post-classical Latin mule (for mulae , plural) slippers (c700) < classical Latin mulleī (plural) red high-soled shoes worn by patricians (see sense 2), use as noun (short for mulleī calceī reddish shoes) of masculine plural of mulleus reddish ( < the same Indo-European base as ancient Greek μέλας black: see melano- comb. form) + classical Latin -eus (see -eous suffix). Compare post-classical Latin mula chilblain (from 14th cent. in British sources). Compare Italian mula slipper (16th cent.), Spanish mula (17th cent.; now largely superseded by the diminutive mulilla); also Middle Dutch mūle (Dutch muil) slipper, chilblain (15th cent.; < French).

Etymology: < Old French, Middle French meule, of uncertain origin.

Etymology: < mule n.¹ (compare sense 2c s.v.). Compare earlier muling n. 2.