mulleus

Latin

Etymology

Uncertain; proposed derivations include:

• From mullus (“mullet”), but considered folk etymology
• From Proto-Indo-European *melh₂-. Cognates include Ancient Greek μέλας (mélas, “black”), Sanskrit मल॑ (mála, “dirt, filth, dust”), Latvian melns, and Old Prussian melne. Driessen rejects the connection with adj. in **-no- meaning 'black' since Proto-Italic *melnos / *mlnos would not yield Lat. mullus but melnus / blanus, cf. blandus (“soft”)
• From Proto-Italic *molwos, from Proto-Indo-European *ml̥-wo-s, whence also Latvian mul̃vas (“reddish, yellowish”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈmʊl.le.ʊs]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈmul.le.us]

Adjective

mulleus (feminine mullea, neuter mulleum); first/second-declension adjective

1. of a red color (said of shoes)

   calcei mullei

   red calceuses

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	mulleus	mullea	mulleum		mulleī	mulleae	mullea
genitive	mulleī	mulleae	mulleī		mulleōrum	mulleārum	mulleōrum
dative	mulleō	mulleae	mulleō		mulleīs
accusative	mulleum	mulleam	mulleum		mulleōs	mulleās	mullea
ablative	mulleō	mulleā	mulleō		mulleīs
vocative	mullee	mullea	mulleum		mulleī	mulleae	mullea

Descendants

• ⇒ French: mule (through the feminine)
  • → English: mule
• ⇒ Italian: mula (through the feminine)
• ⇒ Venetan: mula (through the feminine)
• → Italian: mulleo
• → Portuguese: múleo

See also

Colors in Latin · colōrēs (layout · text)

albus, candidus, cānus, marmoreus (poetic), eburneus (poetic), niveus (poetic), argenteus (poetic), lacteus (poetic)	rāvus, pullus, mūrīnus (of livestock)	niger, āter, furvus, fuscus ("swarthy"), piceus (poetic)
ruber, russus, rūbidus (dark), flammeus (poetic); rutilus, pūniceus, spādīx (poetic), sanguineus (poetic)	rūfus, rutilus, rōbus (of oxen), croceus (poetic), aureus (poetic); fulvus (poetic), niger (of eyes), badius (of horses)	lūteus, flāvus ("blond"), lūridus, gilvus (of horses), helvus (of cattle); cēreus (poetic)
viridis, flāvus (poetic)	viridis, herbeus (of eyes), fulvus (poetic)	viridis, glaucus (poetic), caeruleus (poetic, only dark)
	glaucus (poetic), caeruleus, caesius (of eyes)	caeruleus, līvidus, ferrūgineus (poetic), glaucus (poetic)
violāceus	purpureus (underlying shade)	roseus

Further reading

• “mulleus calceus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “mulleus”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.