An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

The → sterile offspring of a female horse and a male donkey.

M.E., from O.E. mul, from O.Fr. mul "mule, hinny," from L. mulus "a mule," probably from a pre-Latin Mediterranean language.

Astar, from Mid.Pers. astar, ultimately from *asa-tara-, literally "horse related," from *asa- variant of aspa-, → horse, + -tara- a suffix of relation and comparative adjectives; cf. Skt. asvátara- "mule."