mull (verb) - to think about or ponder deeply and at length, often used in the phrase mull over [muhl]
mull also means to sweeten, spice, and heat a drink or to to grind or mix thoroughly
BREAKDOWN: The use of the word mull to describe the action of deliberation or consideration represents a metaphor for mentally breaking down, deconstructing, or reducing to fundamentals an idea or problem. The term can be traced back to the Middle English mull or mullyn and, before that, Latin molere meaning to grind, mill, or pulverize. This is the source of the root MOL- meaning to crush or grind in words like mallet or emolument. The sense of mull as a process of preparing drinks has a different Dutch or Flemish origin.
“Worry is a useless mulling over of things we cannot change.” —Peace Pilgrim
[Our Wednesday Wildcards are fascinating and important words that are not necessarily derived from classic roots.]