- μάλα
- μάλαGrammatical information: adv.Meaning: `very, quite, completely',Compounds: Comp. μᾶλλον `more, rather', sup. μάλιστα `mostly, quite especially' (Il.).Origin: IE [Indo-European] [720] *mel- `strong, better'Etymology: Formation like ἅμα, τάχα, πάρα etc. (Schwyzer 622) and like these with zero grade stem opposed to full grade Lat. mel-ius `better' beside mul-tus `many' (prob. from ml̥-tós; cf. W.-Hofmann s. v.); zero grade also in Latv. milns `very many'. μᾶλλον (with secondary lengthening, after θᾶσσον) stands for orig. full grade *μέλλον (: melius). An innovation is μάλιον μᾶλλον H. (after this also to be inserted in Tyrt. 12, 6 ) with μαλιωτέρα προσφιλεστέρα H. -- WP. 2, 292, Pok. 720, W.-Hofmann s. melior , Schwyzer 342 a. 538, Seiler Steigerungsformen 67 f. Cf. μαλερός and μέλω(?).Page in Frisk: 2,165
Greek-English etymological dictionary (Ελληνικά-Αγγλικά ετυμολογική λεξικό). Robert S.P.. 2010.