μαλακός: Difference between revisions

|etymtx=Grammatical information: adj.<br />Meaning: [[weak]], [[soft]] (Il.; on the meaning Treu Von Homer zur Lyrik 183, 187 f.).<br />Compounds: Compp., e.g. [[μαλακογνώμων]] [[of weak mind]] (A.), <b class="b3">μαλακο-κρανεύς</b> "Weakskull", bird-name, [[gray shrike]] (Arist.); Boßhardt 62, Chantraine Form. 130.<br />Derivatives: [[μαλακία]], <b class="b3">-ίη</b> (IA.), [[μαλακότης]] (Pl., Arist., Herod.) [[weakness]], [[effefeminacy]]. - [[μαλακίων]] m. in address [[sweetheart]] (Ar. Ek. 1058; Chantraine 165); <b class="b3">τὰ μαλάκια</b> [[molluscs]] (Arist.); [[μαλακώδης]] [[weakhearted]] (St. Byz.). -- Denomin. verbs: 1. [[μαλάσσω]], <b class="b3">-ττω</b> [[make weak]], [[soften]] (Pi., IA.) with [[μάλαγμα]] n. [[emollient]], [[softening plaster]], [[softening material]] (Pl., Thphr., Ph. Bel. etc.) with <b class="b3">μαλαγμα-τώδης</b> (medic.), <b class="b3">-τίζω</b> (Zos.Alch.); [[μάλαξις]] [[softening]] (Thphr., Plu.); <b class="b3">μαλακ-τήρ</b> "weakener", μαλακός [[ἐλέφαντος]] [[ivory workerer]] (Plu.); <b class="b3">-τικός</b> [[softening]] (Hp., Plu.). 2. [[μαλακίζομαι]] [[be softened]] (Att.). 3. [[μαλακύνω]] [[soften]] (X., hell.) with [[μαλάκυνσις]] [[softening]] (Alex. Aphr.).<br />Origin: IE [Indo-European] [716] <b class="b2">*melh₂-</b> [[meal]], [[rub down]]<br />Etymology: The nearest cognate of [[μαλακός]] seems monosyllabic [[βλάξ]] (with long vowel; s. v. and Schwyzer 360); so a primary <b class="b3">κ-</b>deriv. If we separate the two, an <b class="b2">n-</b>stem as intermediate is possible (Schwyzer 496 f., Chantraine Form. 384). The basis could be the wide-spread verb [[rub]], [[meal]], s. [[μύλη]]; also [[μέλδομαι]], [[ἀμαλδύνω]], [[ἀμαλός]]. Cf. also [[μαλθακός]]. It could be <b class="b2">*mlh₂-k-</b> > <b class="b3">*μλακ-</b> and <b class="b2">*mlh₂-ek-</b> > <b class="b3">*μαλ-ακ-</b>.