Etymology Map
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Mule

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means the offspring of a donkey and a horse

Where does the word "mule" come from? It comes from Latin mulus, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
mulus
Latin · ancient
"mule"
Romans bred mules as pack animals for their armies
2
Stage 2 of 3
mul
Old French · medieval
"mule"
the offspring of a donkey and horse
3
Stage 3 of 3
mule
English · 1200s
"mule"
reinforced an earlier Old English borrowing, 'mul'; 'mule' for a drug courier dates from the 1900s
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Read the full story

Mule’s story begins in Latin: mulus meant “mule.” Romans bred mules as pack animals for their armies. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as mul. The offspring of a donkey and horse. It reached English by 1200s as mule. Reinforced an earlier Old English borrowing, 'mul'; 'mule' for a drug courier dates from the 1900s. Today, mule means the offspring of a donkey and a horse.