mollis

Latin

Etymology

From earlier *molduis, from Proto-Indo-European *(h₂)moldus (“soft, weak”). Cognates include Old Prussian maldai (“boys”), Old Church Slavonic младъ (mladŭ, “young”), Sanskrit मृदु (mṛdú, “soft, mild, weak”), Ancient Greek βλαδύς (bladús, “weak”) and ἀμαλδύνω (amaldúnō, “to weaken, destroy”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA: /ˈmol.lis/

• Audio (Classical)

  (file)

Adjective

mollis m. and f., molle n.; third declension

1. soft, delicate to the touch
   • 405, Jerome and others, Vulgate, Matthaeus 11:8

     sed quid existis videre hominem mollibus vestitum ecce qui mollibus vestiuntur in domibus regum sunt

     But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.

2. pliant, flexible
   • 77 CE, Gaius Plinius Secundus, Naturalis Historia, Liber XIII: xxvi

     diligentior cura mollia panis fermentati colat aqua fervente

     Those who take the most care boil the soft part of leavened bread then strain off the water;

3. mild
   • 405, Jerome and others, Vulgate, Proverbia 15:1

     responsio mollis frangit iram sermo durus suscitat furorem

     A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

4. tender, weak
5. (New Latin) Used as a species epithet.

Inflection

Number	Singular			Plural
Case \ Gender	M.F.	N.		MM.FF.	NN.
nominative	mollis	molle		mollēs	mollia
genitive	mollis	mollis		mollium	mollium
dative	mollī	mollī		mollibus	mollibus
accusative	mollem	molle		mollēs	mollia
ablative	mollī	mollī		mollibus	mollibus
vocative	mollis	molle		mollēs	mollia

Synonyms

• (soft): molluscus, tener
• (pliant): facilis, flexibilis, lentus
• (tender): tener

Antonyms

• (soft): dūrus
• (pliant): rigidus

Derived terms

ēmolliō molle mollēscō mollicellus mollicīna

mollicomus molliculus mollificō mollificus mollīmentum

molliō mollipēs molliter mollitia mollitōrius

mollitūdō mollītus mollusca molluscum molluscus

Descendants

Catalan: moll French: mou Galician: mol Icelandic: moll

Italian: molle Portuguese: mole Romanian: moale Spanish: muelle

References

• mollis in Charlton T. Lewis & Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1879