mulleus

Latin

Etymology

Of uncertain origin; proposed derivations include:

• From mullus (“mullet”), but considered folk etymology
• From Proto-Indo-European *melh₂-. Cognates include Ancient Greek μέλας (mélas, “black”), Sanskrit मल (mala, “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 *molweyos, from *ml-uo (“dark, red, dirty”) IE cognates Latvian mul̃vas "reddish, yellowish"

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈmul.le.us/, [ˈmʊlːʲeʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈmul.le.us/, [ˈmulːeus]

Adjective

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

1. of a red color (said of shoes) "calceus mulleus"

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

Number	Singular				Plural
Case / Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	mulleus	mullea	mulleum		mulleī	mulleae	mullea
Genitive	mulleī	mulleae	mulleī		mulleōrum	mulleārum	mulleōrum
Dative	mulleō		mulleō		mulleīs
Accusative	mulleum	mulleam	mulleum		mulleōs	mulleās	mullea
Ablative	mulleō	mulleā	mulleō		mulleīs
Vocative	mullee	mullea	mulleum		mulleī	mulleae	mullea

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.
• De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “mulleus”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 394