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mula
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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See also: Appendix:Variations of "mula"
Languages (35)
English
A-Pucikwar • Ayutla Mixtec • Betawi • Catalan • Corsican • Czech • Dharug • Dupaningan Agta • Franco-Provençal • Galician • Gamilaraay • Hausa • Higaonon • Indonesian • Italian • Latin • Lower Sorbian • Malay • Maltese • Old English • Old Galician-Portuguese • Old Spanish • Polish • Portuguese • Romanian • Serbo-Croatian • Slovene • Spanish • Swedish • Tagalog • Volapük • Warlpiri • Woiwurrung • Yogad
Page categories
A-Pucikwar • Ayutla Mixtec • Betawi • Catalan • Corsican • Czech • Dharug • Dupaningan Agta • Franco-Provençal • Galician • Gamilaraay • Hausa • Higaonon • Indonesian • Italian • Latin • Lower Sorbian • Malay • Maltese • Old English • Old Galician-Portuguese • Old Spanish • Polish • Portuguese • Romanian • Serbo-Croatian • Slovene • Spanish • Swedish • Tagalog • Volapük • Warlpiri • Woiwurrung • Yogad
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English
Noun
mula (uncountable)
- Alternative spelling of moola.
Anagrams
A-Pucikwar
Etymology
From Proto-Great Andamanese *mulə.
Noun
mula
References
- Juliette Blevins, Linguistic clues to Andamanese pre-history: Understanding the North-South divide, pg. 22 (2009)
Ayutla Mixtec
Etymology
Noun
mula
References
- Hills O., Roberto, et al. (2004), Diccionario lulu ña̱ sanyaꞌá xiinꞌ nya̱nya̱ = Pequeño diccionario ilustrado en el mixteco de Ayutla, Gro. (overall work in Ayutla Mixtec and Spanish), Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, A.C., page 7
Betawi
Alternative forms
- mulè (Kota)
Etymology
Inherited from Classical Malay mula, from Sanskrit मूल (mūla).
Noun
mula
Adjective
mula
Derived terms
Anagrams
Catalan
Pronunciation
Noun
mula f (plural mules)
- female equivalent of mul
- tree spurge
- Synonym: lleterassa
- callus
- garfish
- Synonym: agulla prima
Derived terms
Further reading
- “mula”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
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Corsican
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Latin mula, feminine of mulus.
Noun
Etymology 2
From its scientific name Mola mola.
Noun
mula f (plural mule)
Synonyms
References
- “mula” in INFCOR: Banca di dati di a lingua corsa
Czech
Pronunciation
Noun
mula f (relational adjective mulový or mulí)
Declension
Declension of mula (hard feminine)
See also
Further reading
- “mula”, in Kartotéka Novočeského lexikálního archivu (in Czech)
- “mula”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
- “mula”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025
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Dharug
Alternative forms
- mulla (obsolete)
Noun
mula
Derived terms
- mulabu (“men”, collective)
- mulamang (“husband”)
References
- Troy, Jakelin (2019) [1994], The Sydney Language, 2nd edition, Canberra, ACT: Aboriginal Studies Press, →ISBN, page 29
Dupaningan Agta
Noun
mula
Franco-Provençal
Etymology
Noun
mula f (plural mules) (ORB, broad)
References
Further information
- Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002), “mūlus”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, volume 6/3: Mobilis–Myxa, page 211
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Galician
Verb
mula
- inflection of mulir:
Gamilaraay
Adjective
mula
References
- (2006). “Gaay Garay Dhadhin, Gamilaraay and Yuwalaraay Picture Dictionary”
Hausa
Pronunciation
Verb
mùla (grade 3)
Higaonon
Verb
mula
- to plant
Indonesian
Etymology
Pronunciation
Noun
Affixed terms
Further reading
- “mula”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016
Italian
Pronunciation
Noun
Anagrams
Latin
Etymology
Pronunciation
- (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [ˈmuː.ɫa]
- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [ˈmuː.la]
Noun
mūla f (genitive mūlae); first declension
- female mule, she-mule
- 27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita 7.14:
- […] : mulis strata detrahi iubet binisque tantum centunculis relictis agasones partim captivis, partim aegrorum armis ornatos imponit.
- […] : he orders the mules to be stripped off their saddles and, leaving them only some two small pieces of patchwork to be sat on, be mounted with their muleteers carrying weapons taken from either the prisoners or the sick.
- […] : mulis strata detrahi iubet binisque tantum centunculis relictis agasones partim captivis, partim aegrorum armis ornatos imponit.
Declension
First-declension noun (dative/ablative plural in -īs or dative/ablative plural in -ābus).
Related terms
Descendants
- Italo-Romance:
- Gallo-Romance:
- Ibero-Romance:
Borrowings:
References
- “mula”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- “mula”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- "mula", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
Lower Sorbian
Pronunciation
Noun
mula f (masculine mul)
- female mule
Declension
declension of mula
Noun
mula
- inflection of mul:
Further reading
- Muka, Arnošt (1921, 1928), “mula”, in Słownik dolnoserbskeje rěcy a jeje narěcow (in German), St. Petersburg, Prague: ОРЯС РАН, ČAVU; Reprinted Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag, 2008
- Starosta, Manfred (1999), “mula”, in Dolnoserbsko-nimski słownik / Niedersorbisch-deutsches Wörterbuch (in German), Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag
Malay
Etymology
Pronunciation
Noun
mula (Jawi spelling مولا, uncountable)
- the beginning, the start
- dari mula lagi
- since the beginning
- (medicine) onset
- mula demam ― onset of fever.
Derived terms
Descendants
- Indonesian: mula
Verb
bermula
- (intransitive) to begin, start
- Segalanya bermula di sini.
- Everything begins here.
Verb
memulakan
- (transitive) to begin, to start, to commence
- Mulakan enjin sekarang.
- Start your engines now.
Further reading
- "mula" in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu (PRPM) [Malay Literary Reference Centre (PRPM)] (in Malay), Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017
Maltese
Etymology
Pronunciation
Noun
mula m (plural mwiel)
Derived terms
Old English
Noun
mūla
Old Galician-Portuguese
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin mūla, from mūlus + -a. Doublet of mua.
Pronunciation
Noun
The template Template:roa-opt-noun does not use the parameter(s):m=muuPlease see Module:checkparams for help with this warning.
mula f (plural mulas)
Descendants
References
- Seoane, Ernesto Xosé González; Granja, María Álvarez de la; Agrelo, Ana Isabel Boullón (2006–2022), “mula”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval [Dictionary of dictionaries of Medieval Galician] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
- Barreiro, Xavier Varela; Guinovart, Xavier Gómez (2006–2018), “mula”, in Corpus Xelmírez: corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval [Corpus Xelmírez: linguistic corpus of Medieval Galicia] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
Old Spanish
Etymology
Etymology tree
Pronunciation
Noun
mula f (plural mulas)
- mule
- 13th century, Almeric, Fazienda de Ultramar, page 38vb:
- E dixo acab a abdias ue ala tr̃a por las fontanas todas de las tr̃as ⁊ por las torriẽtes quiçab trobaremos yerba ont biuan los cauallos elas mulas e nõ p̃damos las beſtias.
- And Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go into the land to every fountain throughout the land and to the brooks. Perhaps we will find grass on which the horses and mules can live, that we may not lose the beasts.”
Descendants
References
- Ferreiro, Manuel (2014–2025), “mula”, in Universo Cantigas: edición crítica da poesía medieval galego-portuguesa [Universo Cantigas: critical edition of Galician-Portuguese medieval poetry] (in Galician), A Coruña: University of A Coruña, →ISSN
- Seoane, Ernesto Xosé González; Granja, María Álvarez de la; Agrelo, Ana Isabel Boullón (2006–2022), “mula”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval [Dictionary of dictionaries of Medieval Galician] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
- Barreiro, Xavier Varela; Guinovart, Xavier Gómez (2006–2018), “mula”, in Corpus Xelmírez: corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval [Corpus Xelmírez: linguistic corpus of Medieval Galicia] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
Polish
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Noun
mula f
- (Buddhism) This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text
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Declension
Declension of mula
Etymology 2
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Noun
mula m animal
Etymology 3
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Adjective
mula
Further reading
- mula in Polish dictionaries at PWN
Portuguese
Etymology
Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese mula, a learned borrowing from Latin mūla, from mūlus + -a. Displaced Old Galician-Portuguese mua.
Pronunciation
Noun
mula f (plural mulas)
References
- “mula”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025
- “mula”, in Dicionário infopédia da Lingua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2025
- “mula”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2025, →ISBN
- “mula”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2025
- “mula” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913
Romanian
Etymology
Verb
a mula (third-person singular present mulează, past participle mulat) 1st conjugation
- to mold
Conjugation
Serbo-Croatian
Etymology
Pronunciation
Noun
mȕla f (Cyrillic spelling му̏ла)
- mule (offspring of male donkey and female horse)
Declension
References
- “mula”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2025
Slovene
Pronunciation
Noun
múla f
- mule (offspring of male donkey and female horse)
Declension
Further reading
- “mula”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU (in Slovene), 2014–2025
Spanish
Etymology
Inherited from Old Spanish mula, from Latin mūla, feminine of mūlus (“mule”).
Pronunciation
Noun
mula f (plural mulas)
- female equivalent of mulo (“mule”)
- trash
- (Latin America) traitor
- (Mexico) a smart, somewhat abusive person
Hypernyms
Coordinate terms
Derived terms
Descendants
Further reading
- “mula”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025
Swedish
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Old Swedish mule, via German, from Latin mulus.
Noun
mula c
Declension
Related terms
Etymology 2
From mule (“muzzle”).
Verb
mula (present mular, preterite mulade, supine mulat, imperative mula)
- (colloquial) to rub snow in someone's face
- 2006, “16-åring friad från snöbollsmisshandel [16-year-old released in court from snowball abuse]”, in Sydsvenskan:
- Kamraten sade i tingsrätten att han bara tog tag i 16-åringen och mulade honom med snö innan han släppte taget.
- His friend said in district court that he only grabbed the 16-year-old and rubbed snow in his face before letting go.
- (by extension, colloquial) to rub something in someone’s face
- Synonym: pula
- 2008, P J Anders Linder, “En ding, ding, ding, ding värld? [A mad, mad, mad, mad world?]”, in Svenska Dagbladet:
- Bäst som Barack Obama stod och övade segergester framför hallspegeln ringde Reuters på dörren och mulade honom med gratulationstårtan.
- Just as Barack Obama stood in front of his hall mirror, practicing victory gestures, Reuters called on the door and rubbed a congratulatory cake in his face.
- (colloquial) to wolf down, stuff down; to eat, especially as if (figuratively) rubbing one’s face in the food
- Jag mulade en hel chokladkaka.
- I wolfed down an entire chocolate bar.
- 2024 April 27, Eleonor Svensson, Clara Wasell, “Strategin som gav Lhiam förstaplatsen”, in Hela Gotland:
- Med en annorlunda strategi lyckades han mula i sig flest korvar på tio minuter: ”Det blir mer som att du dricker brödet, vilket spar tid”
- With an unusual strategy he managed to stuff down the most sausages in ten minutes: “It becomes more like you drink the bread, which saves time.”
- 2025 July 15, Petter, “Karissa äter sockermunkar”, in Gamereactor:
- Den tjejen kan mula socker/fett/salt, hon. Som en maskin.
- That girl can stuff down sugar/fat/salt. Like a machine.
Usage notes
- This verb for rubbing snow in someone’s face is known for its many dialectal synonyms, and in a survey made in 2006 by the radio programme Språket i P1, they received 95 synonyms for this word based on 5800 replies, mula being the most common one.
Conjugation
1 Archaic. 2 Dated. See the appendix on Swedish verbs.
Synonyms
- bryna (Gotland, Värmland)
- gnosa (Västergötland)
- grosa (Västergötland)
- gura (Gothenburg)
- göra (Västergötland)
- kröna
- molla
- muddra (Roslagen)
- mulla (Uppland)
- myla (Östergötland)
- mylla (Småland)
- målla
- möla (Västergötland)
- mösa
- pesa (Finland Swedish)
- pula (Närke, Västmanland, Uppland, Hälsingland, Åland)
- purra (Jämtland, Gästrikland)
- sylta (Gothenburg)
- tryna (Värmland)
Etymology 3
From Romani.
Verb
mula
References
- “Om 95 olika ord för att gnida in snö i ansiktet [About 95 different words for rubbing snow in someone’s face]”, in Språket i P1, Sveriges Radio, 10 January 2006, retrieved 23 October 2019
- mula in Svensk ordbok (SO)
Tagalog
Alternative forms
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Sanskrit मूल (mūla, “root; origin”).
Pronunciation
- (Standard Tagalog) IPA(key): /muˈlaʔ/ [mʊˈlaʔ]
- Rhymes: -aʔ
- Syllabification: mu‧la
Preposition
mulâ (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜓᜎ)
Noun
mulâ (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜓᜎ)
- (formal, archaic) origin
- Synonyms: orihen, pinagmulan, pinanggalingan
Derived terms
- magmula
- mula ngayon
- mula't mula
- mula't sapol
- mulaan
- mulang buhat
- mulang danaw
- mulang dilim
- pagmula
- pagmulan
- pamula
- panimula
- parang tao sa mula
- pinagmulan
- samula
- simula
- simulain
- simulan
- tuntong mula
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Spanish mula, from Latin mūla.
Pronunciation
- (Standard Tagalog) IPA(key): /ˈmula/ [ˈmuː.lɐ]
- Rhymes: -ula
- Syllabification: mu‧la
Noun
mula (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜓᜎ)
- mule (sterile hybrid of donkey and horse)
Etymology 3
Borrowed from Spanish mula, from Medieval Latin mula (“slipper, shoe with a thick sole”), presumably from classical Latin mulleus, the dyed shoe of either the patricians or senators, from Ancient Greek μύλλος (múllos).
Pronunciation
- (Standard Tagalog) IPA(key): /ˈmula/ [ˈmuː.lɐ]
- Rhymes: -ula
- Syllabification: mu‧la
Noun
mula (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜓᜎ)
- mule (backless shoe)
Etymology 4
Pronunciation
- (Standard Tagalog) IPA(key): /muˈla/ [mʊˈla]
- Rhymes: -a
- Syllabification: mu‧la
Verb
mulá (complete nula, progressive nunula, contemplative pupula, Baybayin spelling ᜋᜓᜎ) (obsolete)
Etymology 5
Pronunciation
- (Standard Tagalog) IPA(key): /ˈmulaʔ/ [ˈmuː.lɐʔ]
- Rhymes: -ulaʔ
- Syllabification: mu‧la
Verb
mulà (complete nula, progressive nunula, contemplative pupula, Baybayin spelling ᜋᜓᜎ) (obsolete)
References
Anagrams
Volapük
Noun
mula
Warlpiri
Noun
mula
Woiwurrung
Yogad
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