Mal German · revision 34935

+ {{homograph|1|time, occasion}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1000, Notker|origins=gem-pro *mēlą}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /maːl/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Mal''' ''n'' (genitive Males or Mals, plural Male or Mal)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The noun meaning “time” is [[inh|gmh|māl]], [[inh|goh|māl|t=point in time]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*māl]], [[inh|gem-pro|*mēlą]].^(Kluge 2011|595)^(Wiktionary)^(Pfeifer 1993) The same word is [[got|𐌼𐌴𐌻|tr=mel|t=time, hour]], [[non|mál|t=time, meal]], [[ang|mǣl|t=measure, occasion, meal]] and [[ofs|mēl|t=meal]].^(Kluge 2011|595)^(Pfeifer 1993) It is the same word as [[Mahl]] “meal”, originally “appointed time”, which is now distinguished only in spelling, and as [[en|meal]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|529)^(Kroonen 2013)

+

+ Kluge, Pfeifer and the Duden derive it from the root [[ine-pro|*mē-|t=to measure]], so that it first meant “something staked out, measured”; the sense “point in time” grew from “point in space”.^(Kluge 2011|595)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|529) The root is also found in [[la|mētior|t=to measure]] and [[cu|мѣра|tr=měra|t=measure]], and with another suffix in [[grc|μέτρον|tr=métron|t=measure]] and [[lt|mẽtas|t=time, measure]].^(Kluge 2011|595)^(Pfeifer 1993) Kroonen considers the origin disputed: the word may also belong with the noun meaning “spot, mark”.^(Kroonen 2013)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''māl'' “point in time, time” is recorded around 1000 in Notker and the glosses, already in phrases such as ''ze drīn mālen'' “three times” and ''nū ze māle'' “for now”.^(Schützeichel 2012|213)^(Köbler AHD)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Middle High German often used ''des mâles'' and ''ze dem mâle'' “at that time”, and these phrases gave the adverbs [[einmal]], [[zumal]], [[dazumal]] and ''dermalen'', as well as [[ehemals]] from Middle High German ''ē māles''.^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993) In [[damals]], [[jemals]], [[niemals]] and [[abermals]] (15th century) the ending ''-mals'' was added later.^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993) The use in multiplication comes from phrases like ''zu wunfczen malen wunfczen'' “fifteen times fifteen” (15th century), and gave ''malnehmen'' “to multiply” in the 18th century.^(Pfeifer 1993) The colloquial adverb [[mal]] is short for ''einmal''.^(Paul 2002) Today the noun mostly counts repeated occasions.^(Duden 7 2020|529)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Around 1000 – Old High German ''māl'' “time” is used by Notker.^(Köbler AHD)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 15th century – ''abermals'' appears, and ''mal'' is used in multiplication.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 18th century – ''malnehmen'' “to multiply” appears.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|time]], one occurrence of a repeated event: ''das erste Mal'', ''zum letzten Mal''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # An [[m|en|occasion]]: ''ein für alle Mal'' “once and for all”, ''mit einem Mal'' “suddenly”, ''von Mal zu Mal'' “each time more”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[mal]]

+ * [[einmal]]

+ * [[zumal]]

+ * [[damals]]

+ * [[dazumal]]

+ * [[ehemals]]

+ * [[jemals]]

+ * [[niemals]]

+ * [[manchmal]]

+ * [[nochmals]]

+ * [[abermals]]

+ * [[malnehmen]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|mark, spot}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=disputed|formation=inherited|attested=10th century, Old High German|origins=gem-pro *mēlą}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /maːl/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Mal''' ''n'' (genitive Males or Mals, plural Male or Mäler)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The noun meaning “mark” is [[inh|gmh|māl]], [[inh|goh|māl|t=spot, mark]], [[inh|gem-pro|*mēlą|t=spot, mark]].^(Kluge 2011|595)^(Wiktionary)^(Kroonen 2013) The same word is [[osx|hōƀidmāl|t=image of a head]], [[non|mál|t=goal]], [[ang|mǣl|t=mark]] and [[dum|mael|t=sign, mark, stigma]].^(Kluge 2011|595)^(Kroonen 2013) Kluge takes it as a formation with a lengthened vowel to a root of colour, [[ine-pro|*mel-]], found in [[sa|मल|tr=mála|t=dirt]], [[grc|μέλας|tr=mélas|t=black]] and [[lt|mė́lynas|t=blue]]; the verb [[malen]] belongs here too.^(Kluge 2011|595)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ A separate noun, [[goh|meil|t=spot, stain, sin]], [[gmh|meil]], related to [[got|𐌼𐌰𐌹𐌻|tr=mail|t=wrinkle]] and to the English [[m|en|mole|t=birthmark]], merged with it.^(EWA|6, 234)^(Duden 7 2020|529)^(Wiktionary) The EWA shows that ⟨meil⟩ was an inherited word, not taken from [[la|macula]], and that it disappeared from the written language in Early New High German, surviving only in Upper German dialects.^(EWA|6, 234) Kluge and Wiktionary see ⟨māl⟩ as the main source and ⟨meil⟩ as an influence on some senses,^(Kluge 2011|595)^(Wiktionary) whereas Paul and the Duden treat the modern word as ⟨meil⟩ merged with ⟨māl⟩.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2020|529)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''māl'' “spot, mark” is recorded from the 10th century.^(Kluge 2011|595)^(Köbler AHD) Its compounds ''līchmāl'' “mark on the body” and ''anamāli'' “stigma, scar” are found in glosses,^(DWB|12, 1493) and ''meil'' “spot, blemish, sin” appears in glosses from the beginning of the 9th century.^(EWA|6, 234)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Paul lists first a spot on the body, inborn or acquired, as in [[Muttermal]] (16th century), [[Wundmal]] and [[Brandmal]];^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2020|529) Luther has the doubled ''Malzeichen'' for the stigmata in Galatians 6:17.^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2020|529) From this came a sign set up for recognition or memory, as when Luther's Jacob ''richtete ein Mal auf über ihrem Grabe'', and the compounds [[Denkmal]], [[Grabmal]], [[Ehrenmal]] and [[Mahnmal]] (20th century).^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2020|529) The most abstract is [[Merkmal]] (17th century).^(Paul 2002)^(Duden 7 2020|529) The formula ''Ziel und Mal'' led to the sporting sense “marker, base”, recorded in 1683.^(Paul 2002) English took ''denkmal'' in 1877.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Early 9th century – Old High German ''meil'' “spot” appears in glosses.^(EWA|6, 234)

+ * 10th century – Old High German ''māl'' “mark” is recorded.^(Kluge 2011|595)

+ * 16th century – ''Muttermal'' “birthmark” appears.^(Duden 7 2020|529)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch)

+ * 17th century – ''Merkmal'' appears.^(Duden 7 2020|529)

+ * 1683 – ''Mal'' is used for a marker in a contest.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1877 – English ''denkmal'' is recorded.^(LWP)

+ * 20th century – ''Mahnmal'' “memorial” appears.^(Duden 7 2020|529)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|mark]] on the body, such as a [[m|en|birthmark]] or a scar.^(Wiktionary)^(Paul 2002)

+ # ''(chiefly in compounds)'' A sign set up in the landscape, a boundary stone or a [[m|en|memorial]].^(Wiktionary)^(Paul 2002)

+ # ''(ball games)'' A [[m|en|base]].^(Wiktionary)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Denkmal]]

+ * [[Grabmal]]

+ * [[Mahnmal]]

+ * [[Ehrenmal]]

+ * [[Merkmal]]

+ * [[Muttermal]]

+ * [[Wundmal]]

+ * [[Brandmal]]

+ * [[Malzeichen]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Mahl]]

+ * [[messen]]

+ * [[Maß]]

+ * [[malen]]

+ * [[Makel]]

+ * [[en|meal]]

+ * [[en|mole]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}