It is a funny word, isn’t it? Jackass. Most people hear it and immediately think of a stuntman from the early 2000s or an insult shouted in traffic. But before it was a way to describe your cousin who forgot to bring the cooler to the beach, it was—and technically still is—a precise biological term.
So, why are donkeys called jackasses anyway?
The answer isn't just about people being mean to animals. It's a weird mix of old-school linguistic shorthand and the basic reality of livestock breeding. If you’ve ever spent time on a farm, you know that farmers don't like wasting syllables. They need to know exactly what animal they’re looking at, and they need to know it fast.
The Simple Math of the Jackass
Let's break the word down. It’s a compound. You’ve got "Jack" and you’ve got "Ass."
Back in the day, "ass" was the standard English name for the animal we now almost exclusively call a donkey. The word comes from the Latin asinus. For centuries, if you saw a long-eared, sure-footed beast of burden, you called it an ass.
Then came the "Jack."
In the world of animal husbandry, "Jack" became a generic nickname for a male. We still see remnants of this today. Think of a "Jack-rabbit" (which is actually a hare, but the name stuck because of those donkey-like ears). When you put them together, a Jack-ass is simply a male ass.
That’s it. It’s the masculine version of the species.
To round out the family tree, a female is called a "Jennet" or a "Jenny." If you were a 19th-century farmer and you told your neighbor you were looking for a jackass, he wouldn’t think you were looking for trouble. He’d just think you were in the market for a breeding male to grow your herd.
Why the Word "Donkey" Took Over
You might wonder why we stopped saying "ass" as the primary name and started using "donkey." Honestly? It was about being polite.
Language evolves because of "taboo deformation." As the word "ass" became more closely associated with human anatomy—specifically the buttocks—people got uncomfortable. It’s hard to give a serious sermon or a classroom lecture about a biblical figure riding into town on an "ass" without a few kids giggling in the back.
The word "donkey" started showing up in the late 1700s. Etymologists like those at the Oxford English Dictionary suggest it might come from "dun," which is a greyish-brown color common in these animals. Add a "key" suffix (like monkey), and you get donkey.
By the mid-1800s, "donkey" had largely replaced "ass" in polite society. But the term jackass survived in the agricultural world because it served a specific purpose. It distinguished the males from the females.
Are They Actually Stubborn?
We call people jackasses when they’re being stubborn or foolish. This stems from the donkey's reputation for planted feet and refusal to move. But ask any actual donkey expert, like the folks at The Donkey Sanctuary in the UK, and they’ll tell you we’ve got it all wrong.
Donkeys aren't stubborn. They’re cautious.
A horse has a flight instinct. If a horse gets scared, it runs. That’s why people get thrown. A donkey, however, has a "freeze" instinct. When a donkey senses danger, its brain goes into a high-speed analysis mode. It stops. It digs its hooves in. It refuses to move until it has determined that the path ahead is safe.
Humans, being impatient, interpreted this survival strategy as being a "jackass." We projected our own frustration onto the animal's natural intelligence.
The Difference Between a Jackass and a Mule
This is where people get really confused. Is a jackass a mule? No.
A mule is a hybrid. It is what happens when a male donkey (a Jack) mates with a female horse (a mare). If you go the other way—a male horse (a stallion) with a female donkey (a Jenny)—you get something called a "hinny."
Hinnies are rarer and usually smaller. Mules are the rockstars of the working world because they have the "hybrid vigor" of both parents: the strength of a horse and the intelligence and endurance of the donkey.
But remember: you can't have a mule without a jackass. The Jack is the essential father of the mule. George Washington was actually obsessed with this. He knew that for America to grow, we needed better work animals. He lobbied the King of Spain to send him high-quality Spanish Jacks to start an American mule-breeding program at Mount Vernon.
Washington was essentially the first great American jackass enthusiast.
The Cultural Shift to the Insult
If the term is so scientific, how did it become such a biting insult?
It really comes down to Aesop’s Fables and medieval folklore. Throughout history, the donkey was portrayed as a lowly animal. While the lion was the king and the fox was the trickster, the donkey was the one that got stuck with the heavy loads and the bad luck.
Over time, calling someone a jackass meant you were calling them two things:
- Low-class or "beast-like."
- Stupidly obstinate.
By the time the 20th century rolled around, the agricultural meaning was fading for city dwellers, leaving only the insult behind. Then, pop culture took it and ran. From the Democratic Party’s donkey mascot (which started as an insult against Andrew Jackson—"Andrew Jack-ass"—that he eventually embraced) to modern reality TV, the word has been cemented as a label for buffoonery.
Donkeys as Protectors
Despite the name, donkeys are actually incredible protectors.
Many farmers use a lone Jack or Jenny as a "guard donkey" for sheep or goats. Unlike a dog, which might play, a donkey has a deep, ancestral hatred for canines. If a coyote or a stray dog enters a pasture, the donkey won't run away. It will charge.
They use their heavy heads to strike and their back legs to deliver kicks that can be fatal to a predator. They are the bouncers of the animal kingdom.
Practical Takeaways for Your Next Conversation
The next time you hear the word, you’ll know the nuance. It isn't just a playground taunt; it’s a piece of linguistic history that survived the transition from the farm to the city.
- Gender matters: A "Jack" is male, a "Jenny" is female.
- Species matters: A donkey is a specific animal (Equus africanus asinus); a mule is a cross-breed.
- The "stubborn" myth: It’s actually a sign of high intelligence and a self-preservation instinct.
- Etymology: The word "donkey" was basically a 1700s "slang" word that became the professional standard to avoid the "ass" pun.
If you ever find yourself looking to add a donkey to your property, don't just look for any "jackass." Look for an animal that has been socialized. While they are hardy, they are also incredibly social animals that can suffer from loneliness if they don't have a companion—whether that's another donkey, a horse, or even a goat.
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Next Steps for the Curious
If you're interested in the actual care or history of these animals, check out the resources provided by the American Donkey and Mule Society. They have extensive records on different breeds, from the tiny Miniature Mediterranean Donkeys to the massive American Mammoth Jackstock—the giants that George Washington helped create.
Understanding the "why" behind the name helps us appreciate the animal a bit more. They aren't just the punchline of a joke. They are the animals that literally built the infrastructure of the modern world, carrying the weight on their backs while we argued over what to call them.
Next time you see one, maybe give it a bit more credit. It’s not just a jackass; it’s a biological marvel with a very long memory and a very specific job to do.
To learn more about the specific needs of these animals, visit your local livestock rescue or spend an afternoon at an equine sanctuary. Seeing their temperament in person usually clears up any misconceptions about their "stubbornness" within minutes.