mala

Alternative forms

• malaidh, malaigh, malainn

Etymology

From Old Irish mala, from Proto-Celtic *malaxs, from Proto-Indo-European *ml̥Hdʰo-, shared with Breton malvenn, Old English molda (“forehead”), Ancient Greek βλωθρός (blōthrós, “lofty”), Avestan 𐬐𐬀-𐬨𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬜𐬋 (ka-mər^əδō, “demon's head”).

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ˈmˠɑl̪ˠə/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈmˠalˠə/, /ˈmˠal̪ˠə/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈmˠɔlˠi/, /ˈmˠɔl̪ˠi/^[1] (as if spelled molaidh)

Noun

mala f (genitive singular mala, nominative plural malaí)

1. eyebrow
2. brow (projecting upper edge of a steep place such as a hill)
3. slope, incline

Mutation

References

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “mala”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “mala”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• MacBain, Alexander, Mackay, Eneas (1911) “mala”, in An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language‎, Stirling, →ISBN

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈma.la/
• Rhymes: -ala
• Hyphenation: mà‧la

Noun

mala f (plural male)

1. underworld, gangland

Anagrams

• alma, lama

Romanization

mala

1. Romanization of ꦩꦭ

Etymology

Deverbal from malowac.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈma.la/
• Rhymes: -ala
• Syllabification: ma‧la

Noun

mala f

1. (Canada) paint

Further reading

• Stanislow Frymark (2020) “mala”, in Kashubian Language in Canada, the USA and New Zealand; Lexical Interferences in Kashubian Language in Canada, the USA and New Zealand, Zómk Zôbòrsczi, →ISBN

Etymology 1

From Proto-Italic *smakslā, from Proto-Indo-European *smeḱ- (“beard”) as *smḱ- (“beard”) +‎ *-sleh₂-; cognate with Sanskrit श्मश्रु (śmaśru, “beard”)).

Etymology 2

Borrowing from Frankish *malha (“leather bag”).

Noun

mala f (genitive malae); first declension

2. a bundle, bag

This entry needs quotations to illustrate usage. If you come across any interesting, durably archived quotes then please add them!

Inflection

First-declension noun.

More information singular, plural ...

	singular	plural
nominative	mala	malae
genitive	malae	malārum
dative	malae	malīs
accusative	malam	malās
ablative	malā	malīs
vocative	mala	malae

Close

Descendants

• Old French: male, malle
  • Anglo-Norman: male
    • → Middle English: male
      • English: mail
      • Scots: mail
    • →? Irish: mála (or perhaps via English)
  • Middle French: malle
    • → Catalan: mala
    • French: malle
    • → Portuguese: mala
    • → Spanish: mala
  • Gallo: mol
  • Walloon: male (Forrières)

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Etymology 4

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *ml̥Hdʰo-, see also Breton malvenn, Old English molda (“forehead”), Ancient Greek βλωθρός (blōthrós, “lofty”), Avestan 𐬐𐬀-𐬨𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬜𐬋 (ka-mər^əδō, “demon's head”).

(Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

Noun

mala f (4th declension)

1. edge, shore

Verb

mala

1. third-person singular/plural present indicative of malt

References

Further reading

• MacBain, Alexander, Mackay, Eneas (1911) “mala”, in An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language‎, Stirling, →ISBN, page mala

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmä̌ːlɐ]

Verb

mãla

1. third-person singular present of malti
2. third-person plural present of malti

Noun

mala

1. eye

References

• Alexandre François, The languages of Vanikoro: three lexicons and one grammar

Noun

mala

1. woman

References

• Carl Hoffmann, A grammar of the Margi language (1963)

Alternative forms

• male

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /²mɑːlɑ/

Etymology 1

From Old Norse mala, from Proto-Germanic *malaną.

Etymology 2

References

• “mala” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit मल (mala).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ma.la/
• Rhymes: -la
• Homophone: mālā
• Hyphenation: ma‧la

Noun

mala

1. dirt, filth
2. impurity
3. stain
4. defect
5. sin

Further reading

• "mala" in P.J. Zoetmulder with the collaboration of S.O. Robson, Old Javanese-English Dictionary. 's-Gravenhage: M. Nijhoff, 1982.

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *malaną, whence also Old Saxon malan, Old High German malan, Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌽 (malan).

Verb

mala (singular past indicative mól, plural past indicative mólu, past participle malinn)

1. to grind
2. to make a grinding sound, e.g. to purr (of a cat)

Further reading

• “mala”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “mala”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “mala”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press; also available at the Internet Archive
• mala in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎, London: Macmillan and Co.
  • (ambiguous) to be broken down by misfortune: in malis iacere
    
  • (ambiguous) to be hard pressed by misfortune: malis urgeri
    
  • (ambiguous) to have a good or bad reputation, be spoken well, ill of: bona, mala existimatio est de aliquo
    
  • (ambiguous) moral science; ethics: philosophia, in qua de bonis rebus et malis, deque hominum vita et moribus disputatur
    
  • (ambiguous) to take a thing in good (bad) part: in bonam (malam) partem accipere aliquid
    
  • (ambiguous) a guilty conscience: conscientia mala or peccatorum, culpae, sceleris, delicti
    
  • (ambiguous) to be tormented by remorse: conscientia mala angi, excruciari
    
  • (ambiguous) to bless (curse) a person: precari alicui bene (male) or omnia bona (mala), salutem
    
  • (ambiguous) from beginning to end: ab ovo usque ad mala (proverb.)
    
• “mala”, in William Smith, editor (1854, 1857), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, volume 1 & 2, London: Walton and Maberly

Etymology

From Old Norse mala, from Proto-Germanic *malaną.

Verb

mala

1. to grind

Alternative forms

Noun

mala n

1. impurity
2. stain
3. rust
4. dirt
5. dung

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmɐlɐ]

Noun

mala

1. rufous hare-wallaby (Lagorchestes hirsutus)

References

• Paul A. Eckert (2007) Pitjantjatjara / Yankunytjatjara Picture Dictionary‎, IAD Press, →ISBN

Etymology

Borrowed from French malle (“large suitcase; trunk”), from Middle French malle, from Old French male (“leather bag, leather or wooden travel-case”), from Frankish *malha (“leather bag”), from Proto-Germanic *malhō (“leather bag”), from Proto-Indo-European *molko- (“leather bag”).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -alɐ
• Hyphenation: ma‧la

Noun

mala f (plural malas)

1. suitcase
2. (travel) luggage
3. (automotive) boot, trunk
4. (chiefly Portugal) handbag

   Synonyms: bolsa, maleta, saco

Noun

mala m or f by sense (plural malas)

1. (Brazil, idiomatic) an irritating person

References

• “mala”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2025
• “mala”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *mala, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *malaŋ.

Verb

mala

1. (stative) be unlucky, unfortunate
2. to have bad luck

Further reading

• Pukapuka Dictionary

Etymology

Ottoman Turkish ماله (mala), from Persian ماله (mâle).

Noun

mala f (plural malale)

1. trowel

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *mala, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *malaŋ.

Noun

mala

1. calamity

Etymology

From Old Irish mala, from Proto-Celtic *malax, from Proto-Indo-European *ml̥Hdʰo-, see also Breton malvenn, Old English molda (“forehead”), Ancient Greek βλωθρός (blōthrós, “lofty”), Avestan 𐬐𐬀-𐬨𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬜𐬋 (ka-mər^əδō, “demon's head”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmãl̪ˠə/, [ˈmɑ̃l̪ˠə]^[1]

Noun

mala f (genitive singular mala, plural malaichean or malaidhean)

1. brow
   1. (anatomy) eyebrow
   2. (geography, of hill) brow; slope, incline

Mutation

References

Further reading

• Edward Dwelly (1911) “mala”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎, 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “mala”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• MacBain, Alexander, Mackay, Eneas (1911) “mala”, in An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language‎, Stirling, →ISBN

Adjective

mala

1. inflection of mal:
   1. feminine nominative/vocative singular
   2. indefinite masculine/neuter genitive singular
   3. indefinite animate masculine accusative singular
   4. neuter nominative/accusative/vocative plural

Etymology

From Latin malus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈma.la/
• Hyphenation: mà‧la

Adjective

mala f sg

1. feminine singular of malu; bad.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmala]

Participle

mala

1. feminine singular l-participle of mať

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmala/ [ˈma.la]
• Rhymes: -ala
• Syllabification: ma‧la

Etymology 1

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from French malle (“large suitcase; trunk”), from Middle French malle, from Old French male (“leather bag, leather or wooden travel-case”), from Frankish *malha (“leather bag”), from Proto-Germanic *malhō (“leather bag”), from Proto-Indo-European *molko- (“leather bag”).

Etymology

From Old Swedish mala, from Old Norse mala, from Proto-Germanic *malaną.

Verb

mala (present mal, preterite malde, supine malt, imperative mal)

1. to grind (crush into small particles)
2. (sometimes with på) to speak ceaselessly, usually about one single subject
3. to go on incessantly (more generally, of thoughts, pain, or the like)

References

• mala in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• mala in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• mala in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Anagrams

• Alma, lama

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *mala. Cognates include Hawaiian mala and Samoan mala.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈma.la]
• Hyphenation: ma‧la

Noun

mala

1. misfortune, bad luck
2. disaster, tragedy
3. plague, epidemic

Verb

mala

1. (stative) to be unlucky
2. (intransitive) to bring bad luck

Further reading

• R. Simona, editor (1986), Tokelau Dictionary‎, Auckland: Office of Tokelau Affairs, page 209

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *mala, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *malaŋ.

Noun

mala

1. misfortune, bad luck
2. disaster

Etymology

Inherited from Ottoman Turkish ماله (mala), itself from Persian ماله (mâle, “trowel”).

Noun

mala (definite accusative malayı, plural malalar)

1. trowel, a plasterer's tool used in spreading and dressing mortar