*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of mala

Learned borrowing from Latin māla (“the cheekbone, jaw”).

5 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 5 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

A single lobe of an insect's maxilla. · The grinding surface of an insect's mandible. · The third segment of a mandible of some myriapods.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Learned borrowing from Latin māla (“the cheekbone, jaw”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Learned-borrowing mentionmālala · the cheekbone, jaw
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "mala#Latin"
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      "pos": "noun",
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        "A single lobe of an insect's maxilla.",
        "The grinding surface of an insect's mandible.",
        "The third segment of a mandible of some myriapods."
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

plural of malum

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
noun

A bead or a set of beads commonly used by Hindus and Buddhists for keeping count while reciting, chanting, or mentally repeating a mantra or the name or names of a deity.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Transliteration of Sanskrit माला (mālā, “wreath, garland, crown”).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "माला",
      "माला#Sanskrit"
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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗
noun

Synonym of rufous hare-wallaby.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Western Desert Language, as Pitjantjatjara mala.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Borrowed-form mentionmalapjt
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 5

Original entry ↗
noun

A seasoning made from Sichuan pepper and chilis.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Mandarin 麻 (má) Mandarin 辣 (là) Mandarin 麻辣 (málà)bor. English mala Borrowed from Mandarin 麻辣 (málà).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for mala →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-bWFsYQ