malo Latin · revision 9562

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=Naevius|origins=la magis, la volō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈmaː.ɫoː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈmaː.lo]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''mālō''' (present infinitive mālle, perfect active māluī); irregular conjugation, suppletive, no passive, no imperative, no gerund^(Wiktionary)

+ Plautus and Terence have ''māvolō'', Naevius ''māvolunt'' and Plautus ''māvolet''.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is from [[magis]] “more” and [[volō]] “to wish”, as Cicero already explained; the older form is ⟨māvolō⟩.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Gaffiot 2016) De Vaan traces ⟨volō⟩ to [[ine-pro|*welh₁-|t=to strive after]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The OLD's earliest citations are from Naevius and Plautus.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant to wish rather, prefer, as in Plautus; with an accusative to like better, prefer to have, as in Caelius' ''bonōs mālle'' in Cicero's letters; and with an accusative and infinitive to prefer the view that, as in Lucretius.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) Isidore notes that ''mālō'' is written with one ⟨l⟩ and ''mālle'' with two, because they are ''magis volō'' and ''magis velle''.^(Isidore)

+

+ In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to prefer, choose rather, desire.^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses ''māvolunt''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses ''māvolō''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it with an infinitive.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|prefer]], wish rather.^(OLD 2012)

+ # To like better.^(OLD 2012)

+ # To prefer the view that.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[volō]]

+ * [[nōlō]]

+ * [[magis]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}