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mulatto

muh-LAH-toh · noun

LatinPortugueseSpanishEnglish

Origin

Borrowed from Portuguese and/or Spanish mulato, meaning 'of mixed breed, young mule,' itself from mulo ('mule'), from Latin mūlus. The term may allude to the mule's own hybrid origin, born of two different species.

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Related words

It's a doublet of mulato, the Spanish/Portuguese word it was borrowed from, both descending from Latin mūlus, the source of English 'mule' itself.

More words

From Portuguese

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