時空の旅わくわく日記

「知らない英単語はない」と言ってみたいのですが、次のような英文に出会いました。motleyの意味が分かりません。

　　Republican Romans were not the blond giants, but a more motley crew – Sabines and Latins for the yeoman farmers of Italy.

（出典：Colin Thubron. SHADOW of the SILK ROAD. P75）

辞書で調べると、

1 incongruously varied in appearance or character

2 (of clothing) made up of a variety of colours

となっていました。

「種々雑多な、混成の、まだらの」というような意味でしょうか。

【Bon appétit !】

　Motley made its debut as an English adjective in the 14th century, but etymologists aren't completely sure where it came from. Many think it probably derived from the Middle English mot, meaning "mote（ほこり、微片）" or "speck（小さいしみ、小斑点）." The word is also used as a noun identifying a multicolored fabric, a garment made from such a fabric.

（https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/motley）