μάλα

Forms

μᾰ́λᾰ (mála) (comparative μᾶλλον, superlative μᾰ́λῐστᾰ)^[1]

Etymology

It is probably inherited from Proto-Indo-European *mel- (“strong, better”), in the zero grade.^[2][3][1] It is formed like ἅμα (háma), τάχα (tákha) and πάρα (pára), and the full grade appears in Latin melius (“better”), beside multus (“many”) from *ml̥-tó-; a zero grade also in Latvian milns (“very many”).^[2][3][4]

The comparative μᾶλλον (mâllon) has a long vowel taken from θᾶσσον (thâsson), and replaced an original full-grade *μέλλον (*méllon).^[2][4][3] The final /a/, shared with several adverbs and prepositions, has been explained in various ways.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is one of the commonest adverbs in Homer, meaning “very, quite”: the opening line of the Odyssey has it.^[5][6][7]

Semantic evolution

In Homer it strengthens adjectives (“very many”), adverbs and verbs, and also a whole statement, “surely, indeed”.^[6][7] In Plato and Xenophon μάλα γε and καὶ μάλα are affirmative answers, “certainly, yes indeed”.^[7] Its comparative μᾶλλον “more, rather” and superlative μάλιστα “most, especially” are frequent in all periods.^[6][2]

Modern Greek keeps it only as an archaism, in the phrase τα μάλα (ta mála, “very much”).^[8][9]

Timeline

• Homer – The Iliad and the Odyssey use it with adjectives, adverbs and verbs.^[6][5]
• 5th–4th century BC – Plato and Xenophon use μάλα γε and καὶ μάλα in answers.^[7][10]
• Modern Greek – It survives only in the phrase τα μάλα (ta mála).^[8]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Very, exceedingly, quite (with adjectives and adverbs).^[6][7]
2. Very much, greatly (with verbs).^[7][6]
3. Surely, certainly (strengthening an assertion).^[7][6]
4. (in answers, μάλα γε, καὶ μάλα) Yes indeed, certainly.^[7]

Word family

• μᾶλλον (mâllon)
• μάλιστα (málista)

Related words

• Latin melior
• Latin multus

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c Frisk, Hjalmar (1960–1972), Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3 vols, Heidelberg: Carl Winter
4. ^ a b c Chantraine, Pierre (2009), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue grecque: histoire des mots, new ed. with a supplement (Chroniques d'étymologie grecque 1–10), Paris: Klincksieck
5. ^ a b Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
6. ^ a b c d e f g Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b c d e f g h Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
8. ^ a b Ακαδημία Αθηνών (2014), Χρηστικό Λεξικό της Νεοελληνικής Γλώσσας, Athens: Academy of Athens
9. ^ Τεγόπουλος, Γ.; Φυτράκης, Ε. (1997), Μείζον Ελληνικό Λεξικό, Athens: Αρμονία
10. ^ Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge