μάλη

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Unknown. It does not seem probable that this word is a shortened form of μασχάλη (maskhálē, “armpit”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /má.lɛː/ → /ˈma.li/ → /ˈma.li/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /má.lɛː/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈma.le̝/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈma.li/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈma.li/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈma.li/

Noun

μᾰ́λη • (mắlē) f (genitive μᾰ́λης); first declension

1. (anatomy) armpit, axilla

   Synonym: μασχάλη (maskhálē)

Usage notes

The word is used almost only in the expression ὑπὸ μάλης (hupò málēs, “under the armpit, secretly”).

Inflection

First declension of ἡ μᾰ́λη; τῆς μᾰ́λης (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ μᾰ́λη hē mắlē	τὼ μᾰ́λᾱ tṑ mắlā	αἱ μᾰ́λαι hai mắlai
Genitive	τῆς μᾰ́λης tês mắlēs	τοῖν μᾰ́λαιν toîn mắlain	τῶν μᾰλῶν tôn mălôn
Dative	τῇ μᾰ́λῃ têi mắlēi	τοῖν μᾰ́λαιν toîn mắlain	ταῖς μᾰ́λαις taîs mắlais
Accusative	τὴν μᾰ́λην tḕn mắlēn	τὼ μᾰ́λᾱ tṑ mắlā	τᾱ̀ς μᾰ́λᾱς tā̀s mắlās
Vocative	μᾰ́λη mắlē	μᾰ́λᾱ mắlā	μᾰ́λαι mắlai
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

References

• “μάλη”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• μάλη in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN