English

Proper noun

Mal

1. A short form of given names such as Mallory, Malcolm etc.

Anagrams

• lam, Lam.
• MLA, M.L.A.

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maːl/
• Homophones: Mahl, mahl
• Rhymes: -aːl

Etymology 1

From Old High German māl, from Proto-Germanic *mēlą. See also Mahl, from the same source.

Noun

Mal n ‎(genitive Mals or Males, plural Male or Mal)

1. time (as in the first time; many times)
2. occasion, case, occurrence

Declension

Derived terms

Etymology 2

From Old High German meil.

Noun

Mal n ‎(genitive Mals or Males, plural Male or Mäler)

1. mark, sign
2. mole (on skin)

Usage notes

The plural form Mäler is less common.

English

Noun

mal ‎(plural mals)

1. (only in set phrases) illness, affliction.

   a grand mal seizure

Derived terms

• (illness): grand mal

See also

• malicious
• Mal

Etymology 2

Shortening of malibu.

Noun

mal ‎(plural mals)

1. (surfing) A longboard (type of surfboard).

Anagrams

• lam, Lam., MLA, M.L.A.

Albanian

Alternative forms

• mall
• malj

Etymology

Uncertain. There have been several hypothesis, including:

1. Illyrian origin, from Illyrian *mol-on (as in the ethnonym Molossian and toponyms Dimallum, Malontum, Malontina and Malesheva) as a substrate (compare also Romanian and Aromanian mal).
2. from Proto-Albanian *mala, from Proto-Indo-European *ml̥Hdʰo (compare Old English molda ‘forehead’, Greek blythrós ‘lofty’, Avestan ka-mərɘðo ‘demon's head’) with a semantic development from ‘head’ > ‘summit’ (compare malë ‘tongue tip, tree top’) > ‘mountain’.
3. a common substrate with Basque malda ‎(“slope”) and malkor ‎(“precipice”) ^[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mal]

Noun

mal m (indefinite plural male, definite singular mali, definite plural malet)

1. mount
2. mountain

Declension

Derived terms

• tërmal
• malësi
• malësor

Related terms

• majë

References

1. ↑ Morvan M. (1996) - Le origines linguisitques du Basque

Aromanian

Alternative forms

• malu

Etymology

Possibly from Albanian mal or related to it as a paleo-Balkanic substrate term. Compare Daco-Romanian mal.

Noun

mal

1. shore
2. pile, heap

Related terms

• meal

Cara

Noun

mal

1. water

References

• R. Blench, The Rukul language of Central Nigeria and its affinities (2006) (mentions this word in notes)

Catalan

Etymology 1

From Old Provençal [Term?], from Latin malus.

Noun

mal m ‎(plural mals)

1. evil, bad
2. illness

Etymology 2

From Old Provençal mal, from Latin male.

Adverb

mal

1. badly, poorly

Adjective

mal m ‎(feminine mala, masculine plural mals, feminine plural males)

1. bad, poor

Dalmatian

Alternative forms

• mul

Etymology

From Latin malus.

Noun

mal

1. evil, harm

Danish

Verb

mal

1. imperative of male

Dutch

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɑl
• IPA^(key): /mɑl/

Noun

mal f ‎(plural mallen, diminutive malletje n)

1. mold, cast (device to help creating shapes)

Adjective

mal ‎(comparative maller, superlative malst)

1. funny, crazy, lacking common sense

Usage notes

The adjective mal always refers to an aspect of a thing or person. It is the adjective form of the noun mallerd.

Inflection

Derived terms

• mallerd

Anagrams

• lam

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mal/

Etymology 1

From Old French mal, from Latin malus, possibly derived from Proto-Indo-European *mel- ‎(“bad, wrong”). Near cognates include Portuguese mal, Italian male and Spanish malo.

Noun

mal m ‎(plural maux)

1. trouble, difficulty

   J'ai du mal à m'imaginer cela. (“I have trouble imagining that.”)

2. pain

   J'ai mal à la tête. (“I have a headache.” Literally, “I have pain at the head.”)

3. evil

Derived terms

• mal de l'air
• mal de mer
• mal du pays

Etymology 2

From Old French, from Latin male.

Adverb

mal

1. badly

   C'est mal fait. (“It's done badly.”)

Adjective

mal m ‎(feminine singular male, masculine plural maux, feminine plural males)

1. (in set phrases and limited constructions) bad

   bon an, mal an

   bon gré, mal gré

   Il est mal de [infinitive]

   C'est mal de [infinitive]

Synonyms

• mauvais
• méchant
• vilain
• laid
• merdique (vulgar slang)

See also

• pas mal
• malade
• maladie
• malaise
• mal-aimé
• maladroit
• malheur
• malfaisant

Anagrams

• AML

Galician

Etymology 1

From Old Portuguese mal, from Latin male.

Adverb

mal

1. badly

Antonyms

• ben

Etymology 2

From Latin malum.

Noun

mal m ‎(plural males)

1. misfortune
2. bad; evil
3. sickness

Etymology 3

Adjective

mal m sg

1. (before the noun) apocopic form of malo

German

Etymology

From the noun Mal ‎(“time”). Partly shortened from einmal, which is also derived from the noun.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maːl/ (standard)
• IPA^(key): /ma/ (colloquial)
• Homophone: Mahl
• Rhymes: -aːl

Adverb

mal

1. times; indicating multiplication of two numbers

   sechs mal sieben ist zweiundvierzig

   six times seven is forty-two — 6 × 7 = 42

2. (chiefly informal) Alternative form of einmal ‎(“sometime, ever, once”), but at times not quite interchangeable, and then acceptable in written style

   Wenn du in Köln bist, musst du mal bei deiner Tante anrufen.

   When you’re in Cologne, you must call your aunt sometime.

3. (chiefly colloquial) a modal particle of remote translatability, often giving a slightly softer or more comfortable sound to a phrase; also frequently used as a term of politeness replacing “bitte” when one is asking for something, but not on its own, except in very informal situations

   Ich geh mal zum Kaffeestand. (“I’m off to the coffee stall.”) — Friendly and normal way of stating the fact, implying the speaker will be back afterwards.

   Ich geh zum Kaffeestand. — Sounds brief; might imply that the speaker is bored and will not come back.

   Hätten Sie wohl mal Feuer? (“Do you have a lighter, [please]?”) — May be considered appropriate towards a stranger; politeness is reinforced by the subjunctive (hätten) and the additional adverb wohl.

   Haste mal Feuer? (“D’ya have fire?”) — Appropriate way of asking among friends and close acquaintances.

   Haste Feuer? — Might mean that the speaker wants to offer their lighter rather than ask for one, otherwise rather blunt-sounding.

Derived terms

• Malrechnung
• schon mal (schomma)

Verb

mal

1. Imperative singular of malen.
2. (colloquial) First-person singular present of malen.

Icelandic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [maːl]
• Rhymes: -aːl

Etymology 1

From mala ‎(“to purr”).

Noun

mal n

1. purr

Declension

Etymology 2

See malur.

Noun

mal

1. indefinite accusative singular of malur

Interlingua

Etymology

From Latin malus

Adjective

mal ‎(comparative plus mal, superlative le plus mal)

1. bad
2. evil

Adverb

mal ‎(comparative plus mal, superlative le plus mal)

1. badly, poorly
2. wrongfully

Noun

mal ‎(plural males)

1. bad, badness, something bad
2. evil
3. illness
4. pain, ache

Italian

Noun

mal m ‎(invariable)

1. apocopic form of male

Kurdish

Noun

mal f

1. home, house

Latvian

Verb

mal

1. 2nd person singular present indicative form of malt
2. 2nd person singular imperative form of malt

Lojban

Rafsi

mal

1. rafsi of mabla.

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French mal.

Noun

mal m (plural maulx)

1. bad act

Descendants

• French: mal

Adjective

mal m ‎(feminine singular male or malle, masculine plural maulx, feminine plural males or malles)

1. bad; evil

Descendants

• French: mal

Norman

Etymology

From Old French mal, from Latin male.

Adverb

mal

1. (Guernsey) badly

Adjective

mal

1. (Guernsey) bad

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

From Dutch

Noun

mal m ‎(definite singular malen, indefinite plural maler, definite plural malene)

1. a template

Etymology 2

Verb

mal

1. imperative of male

References

• “mal” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Dutch

Noun

mal m ‎(definite singular malen, indefinite plural malar, definite plural malane)

1. a template

References

• “mal” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Novial

Adjective

mal

1. bad

Old French

Etymology 1

From Latin male.

Adverb

mal

1. evilly
2. badly; poorly

Descendants

• Middle French: mal
  • French: mal

Etymology 2

From Latin malus.

Noun

mal m ‎(oblique plural maus or max or mals, nominative singular maus or max or mals, nominative plural mal)

1. evil
2. pain, suffering

Adjective

mal m ‎(oblique and nominative feminine singular male, comparative peior, superlative peior)

1. bad (undesirable; not good)

Descendants

• Middle French: mal
  • French: mal

Old Portuguese

Etymology

From Latin male ‎(“badly; wrongly”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmal/

Adverb

mal

1. badly

Descendants

• Fala: mal
• Galician: mal
• Portuguese: mal

Old Provençal

Etymology

From Latin malus. Gallo-Romance cognate with Old French mal.

Adjective

mal

1. bad (negative)
2. bad (evil)

Descendants

• Catalan: mal
• Occitan: mal

References

• (fr)(de) malus in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch (Walther von Wartburg, 2002)

Portuguese

Etymology

From Old Portuguese mal, from Latin male ‎(“badly; wrongly”).

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /maw/
  • Homophone: mau
• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈmaɫ/
• Rhymes: -aw

Adverb

mal (comparatives mais mal, pior superlative o mais mal)

1. badly (in a faulty, dysfunctional or incorrect manner)

   O carro está funcionando bem mal.‎

   The car is running pretty badly.

   João fala inglês mal.‎

   John speaks English badly.

2. (preceding verbs) hardly; barely

   Ele mal consegue estudar com todo esse barulho.‎

   He can hardly study with all this noise.

3. wrong (incorrect)

   A resposta está mal.‎

   The answer is wrong.

4. unfavourably (in an unfavourable manner)

   Penso mal de ti.‎

   I think unfavourably of you.

   Ele fala mal de ti.‎

   He speaks unfavourably of you.

5. (in compounds) evilly

   mal-assombrado‎

   haunted (literally: evilly-shadowed)

   mal-agourado‎

   cursed (literally: evilly-foreboded)

Quotations

For usage examples of this term, see Citations:mal.

Synonyms

• malamente, malmente

Conjunction

mal

1. have/had just; have/had barely

   Mal saí quando a encontrei.‎

   I had barely gone out when I found her.

Quotations

For usage examples of this term, see Citations:mal.

Etymology 2

From Latin malus.

Noun

mal m (plural males)

1. (uncountable) evil (malevolent forces or behaviour)

   As forças do mal cercaram o castelo.‎

   The forces of evil sieged the castle.

2. harm

   Ela não fez por mal.‎

   She meant no harm.

   Não faz mal.‎

   No problem. (It does not matter.)

3. malady (any ailment or disease, especially a lingering one)

   mal de Parkinson‎

   Parkinson’s disease

   Males como a SIDA e pneumonia são mortais.‎

   Illnesses such as AIDS and pneumonia are deadly.

Quotations

For usage examples of this term, see Citations:mal.

Synonyms

• (sickness or syndrome): maladia

Derived terms

• mal-assombrado
• mal-caráter
• mal de Parkinson
• mal-feito

Related terms

Adjective

mal

1. (Brazil) Misspelling of mau.

Romanian

Etymology

Uncertain. Possibly a substratum term, perhaps from a Dacian *mal- or other Paleo-Balkanic source. Probably appearing in the name of the province Dacia Maluensis. Compare Aromanian mal, meal. Cf. also the related Albanian Albanian mal.

Noun

mal n ‎(plural maluri)

1. shore

Declension

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *malъ, from Proto-Indo-European *moh₁los.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mâːl/

Adjective

mȃl ‎(definite mȃlī, comparative mȁnjī, Cyrillic spelling ма̑л)

1. small

Declension

Related terms

• màlen

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mäl], /mal/
• Rhymes: -al

Etymology 1

Apocopic form of malo, from Latin malus, possibly derived from Proto-Indo-European *mel- ‎(“bad, wrong”).

Adjective

mal m ‎(apocopate, standard form malo)

1. (before the noun) apocopic form of malo bad; evil

Usage notes

• Mal is only used before a masculine singular noun. In other positions, malo is used instead.

Etymology 2

From Latin male.

Adverb

mal ‎(comparative peor)

1. badly; poorly

Noun

mal m ‎(plural males)

1. evil, harm; a bad thing or situation

   de mal en peor — “from bad to worse”

2. disease, illness, ailment

   ... le curaremos, si es que su mal tiene cura... — “... we shall cure him, if his ailment has a cure...” - Cervantes. Quijote, ch. 23

Swedish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɑːl/

Noun

mal c

1. moth
2. wels catfish (Silurus glanis)

Declension

See also

• fjäril c
• larv c

Verb

mal

1. imperative of mala.
2. present tense of mala.

Related terms

• malström

Turkish

Etymology

From Arabic مَال ‎(māl, “property”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɑɫ/
• Hyphenation: mal

Noun

mal ‎(definite accusative malı, plural mallar)

1. goods, property
2. asset
3. (economy) merchandise
4. (law) goods, commodity
5. (colloquial, pejorative) a stupid and annoying person, douche, prick
6. (slang, vulgar) a prostitute
7. (slang) heroin

Declension