Etymograph

English

maul

Maul comes from Middle English malle ‘mace, maul’, and goes back to Latin malleus ‘hammer’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmalleus1‘hammer’
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400mail1
  3. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400mail1
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500malle1‘mace, maul’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1990maul1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English maul
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1990, Fuck Buddy/ies wanted: “28 year old big, burly, bearded grizzly looking for…”.

Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmalleusWiktionary, English maul‘hammer’
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400mailWiktionary, English maul
  3. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400mailWiktionary, English maul
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500malleWiktionary, English maul‘mace, maul’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1990maulWiktionary, English maul. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1990, Fuck Buddy/ies wanted: “28 year old big, burly, bearded grizzly looking for…”

Linked words

through Latin malleus ‘hammer’

malleable, 3 more

through Old French mail

mallet

Today it means

noun A heavy long-handled hammer, used for splitting logs by driving a wedge into them, or in combat.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “maul”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Latin malleus / maul

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