Mottle
/ˈmɒt.əl/noun
To cover with spots or blotches, or a spotted blotchy pattern.
Did you know?English mottle is believed to come from Old French motteler / moteler, tied to a root for a small spot or speck, which is why the word still carries that uneven, scattered visual energy.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mei-
“to change, exchange, mix”
Latin
Latin
miscēre
“to mix, mingle”
Old French
Old French
motel / moteler
“to spot, speckle, mark with small blotches”
Middle English
English
mottlen
“to blotch, spot, or variegate”
Modern English
English
mottle
“to mark with spots or blotches; a blotched pattern”