μαλθακός: Difference between revisions

|etymtx=Grammatical information: adj.<br />Meaning: [[weak]], [[tender]], [[soft]], [[mild]] (P588, also Hp., Pl.).<br />Other forms: Aeol. <b class="b3">μόλθακος</b> (Alc.)<br />Derivatives: <b class="b3">μαλθακία</b> [[weakness]] (Pl. R. 590 b); <b class="b3">μαλθακώδης</b> [[weakening]] (Hp., Gal.), <b class="b3">μαλθάκινος</b> = <b class="b3">μαλθακός</b> (AP). Denomin. verbs: 1. <b class="b3">μαλθάσσω</b> = <b class="b3">μαλάσσω</b> (Hp., trag.) with <b class="b3">μαλθακ-τήριον -τικός</b>, <b class="b3">-ξις</b> (medic.). 2. <b class="b3">μαλθακίζομαι</b> <b class="b2">be, become weak</b> (A., E., Pl., Gal.). 3. <b class="b3">μαλθακύνω</b> = <b class="b3">μαλακύνω</b> (sch.). 4. Also <b class="b3">μαλθάζω</b> (Aret.), <b class="b3">-αίνω</b> (Stob.) = <b class="b3">μαλθάσσω</b>, both prob. through suffixchange and not to <b class="b3">μάλθη</b>, <b class="b3">μάλθων</b> (s. v.) with Debrunner IF 21, 20f. and Solmsen Wortforsch. 56 n.1. -- Not here [[μάλθη]] (s.v.) (Cratin. 204), <b class="b2">mix of wax and pitch</b>; from this <b class="b3">μάλθη</b> (?), <b class="b3">μαλθώδης</b> = <b class="b3">μαλακτικὸς η κηρώδης</b> (Hp. ap. Gal.); <b class="b3">μάλθων</b> m. [[weakling]] (Sokr. ap. Stob.); <b class="b3">Μάλθιον</b> womans name (Paros); <b class="b3">μαλθώσω μαλακώσω</b> H. Here also <b class="b3">ἐπίμαλθα ἀγαθά</b>, <b class="b3">προσηνῆ</b>. <b class="b3">η μαλακά</b>, <b class="b3">η ἀσθενῆ λίαν</b> H. must be a kind of derailment.<br />Origin: PG [a word of Pre-Greek origin]<br />Etymology: Formation like <b class="b3">μαλακός</b>; the two synonymous adj. may have influenced each other. If <b class="b3">μαλακός</b> belongs with <b class="b3">βλάξ</b>, <b class="b3">μαλθακός</b> must be an innovation(?). In [[μάλθη]] (s.v.) Solmsen Wortforsch. 55 wants to see the fem. of an original adj. <b class="b3">*μαλθός</b> [[weak]], which would also have left traces in <b class="b3">μάλθων</b> (with <b class="b3">μαλθακός</b> from <b class="b2">-n̥-ko-</b>) etc.; this last seems an improbable construction. - Outside of Greek a possible cognate may be the Germ. word for [[mild]], e.g. OHG [[milti]], Goth. [[unmildjai]] <b class="b3">ἄστοργοι</b>'; also Skt. <b class="b2">márdhati</b> [[neglect]], IE <b class="b2">*meldh-</b>; WP. 2, 289, Pok. 719. -- Cf. <b class="b3">ἀμαλθύνω</b>. - The word must be Pre-Greek, as <b class="b3">μαλθ-</b> cannot be explained from IE <b class="b2">*meldʰ-</b>; this is confirmed by the variant <b class="b3">μόλθακος</b>.