μαλακός

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Hellenic *məlakos, from Proto-Indo-European *ml̥h₂ekos, from *melh₂- (“soft, weak”), which Beekes separates from the "grind, rub" sense, though this is disputed.

Possibly cognate with Old Irish malcad (“rottenness, putrefaction”) and Proto-Germanic *malskaz (“soft; haughty”). Compare μᾰλθᾰκός (mălthăkós), βλᾱ́ξ (blā́x). Distantly cognate with dialectal English masker.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ma.la.kós/ → /ma.laˈkos/ → /ma.laˈkos/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ma.la.kós/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ma.laˈkos/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ma.laˈkos/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ma.laˈkos/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ma.laˈkos/

Adjective

μᾰλᾰκός • (mălăkós) m (feminine μᾰλᾰκή, neuter μᾰλᾰκόν); first/second declension

1. soft, tender

   Synonym: ἁπαλός (hapalós)

2. gentle
   1. light, mild
3. (of persons, modes of life) soft, mild, gentle
   1. (in a bad sense) soft, yielding, remiss
      1. faint-hearted, effeminate, cowardly
      2. incapable of bearing pain
      3. (of music) soft, effeminate
      4. (of reasoning) weak, loose
4. effeminate

   Synonym: σᾰβᾰκός (săbăkós)

5. (of sexual partners) passive; receptive

Inflection

First and second declension of μᾰλᾰκός; μᾰλᾰκή; μᾰλᾰκόν (Attic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		μᾰλᾰκός mălăkós	μᾰλᾰκή mălăkḗ	μᾰλᾰκόν mălăkón		μᾰλᾰκώ mălăkṓ	μᾰλᾰκᾱ́ mălăkā́	μᾰλᾰκώ mălăkṓ		μᾰλᾰκοί mălăkoí	μᾰλᾰκαί mălăkaí	μᾰλᾰκᾰ́ mălăkắ
Genitive		μᾰλᾰκοῦ mălăkoû	μᾰλᾰκῆς mălăkês	μᾰλᾰκοῦ mălăkoû		μᾰλᾰκοῖν mălăkoîn	μᾰλᾰκαῖν mălăkaîn	μᾰλᾰκοῖν mălăkoîn		μᾰλᾰκῶν mălăkôn	μᾰλᾰκῶν mălăkôn	μᾰλᾰκῶν mălăkôn
Dative		μᾰλᾰκῷ mălăkōî	μᾰλᾰκῇ mălăkēî	μᾰλᾰκῷ mălăkōî		μᾰλᾰκοῖν mălăkoîn	μᾰλᾰκαῖν mălăkaîn	μᾰλᾰκοῖν mălăkoîn		μᾰλᾰκοῖς mălăkoîs	μᾰλᾰκαῖς mălăkaîs	μᾰλᾰκοῖς mălăkoîs
Accusative		μᾰλᾰκόν mălăkón	μᾰλᾰκήν mălăkḗn	μᾰλᾰκόν mălăkón		μᾰλᾰκώ mălăkṓ	μᾰλᾰκᾱ́ mălăkā́	μᾰλᾰκώ mălăkṓ		μᾰλᾰκούς mălăkoús	μᾰλᾰκᾱ́ς mălăkā́s	μᾰλᾰκᾰ́ mălăkắ
Vocative		μᾰλᾰκέ mălăké	μᾰλᾰκή mălăkḗ	μᾰλᾰκόν mălăkón		μᾰλᾰκώ mălăkṓ	μᾰλᾰκᾱ́ mălăkā́	μᾰλᾰκώ mălăkṓ		μᾰλᾰκοί mălăkoí	μᾰλᾰκαί mălăkaí	μᾰλᾰκᾰ́ mălăkắ
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		μᾰλᾰκῶς mălăkôs				μᾰλᾰκώτερος mălăkṓteros				μᾰλᾰκώτᾰτος mălăkṓtătos
Notes:		This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

First and second declension of μᾰλᾰκός; μᾰλᾰκή; μᾰλᾰκόν (Epic)

Number		Singular				Dual				Plural
Case/Gender		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative		μᾰλᾰκός mălăkós	μᾰλᾰκή mălăkḗ	μᾰλᾰκόν mălăkón		μᾰλᾰκώ mălăkṓ	μᾰλᾰκᾱ́ mălăkā́	μᾰλᾰκώ mălăkṓ		μᾰλᾰκοί mălăkoí	μᾰλᾰκαί mălăkaí	μᾰλᾰκᾰ́ mălăkắ
Genitive		μᾰλᾰκοῖο μᾰλᾰκόο μᾰλᾰκοῦ mălăkoîo mălăkóo mălăkoû	μᾰλᾰκῆς mălăkês	μᾰλᾰκοῖο μᾰλᾰκόο μᾰλᾰκοῦ mălăkoîo mălăkóo mălăkoû		μᾰλᾰκοῖῐ̈ν mălăkoîĭ̈n	μᾰλᾰκαῖῐ̈ν mălăkaîĭ̈n	μᾰλᾰκοῖῐ̈ν mălăkoîĭ̈n		μᾰλᾰκῶν mălăkôn	μᾰλᾰκᾱ́ων μᾰλᾰκέων μᾰλᾰκῶν mălăkā́ōn mălăkéōn mălăkôn	μᾰλᾰκῶν mălăkôn
Dative		μᾰλᾰκῷ mălăkōî	μᾰλᾰκῇ mălăkēî	μᾰλᾰκῷ mălăkōî		μᾰλᾰκοῖῐ̈ν mălăkoîĭ̈n	μᾰλᾰκαῖῐ̈ν mălăkaîĭ̈n	μᾰλᾰκοῖῐ̈ν mălăkoîĭ̈n		μᾰλᾰκοῖσῐ μᾰλᾰκοῖσῐν μᾰλᾰκοῖς mălăkoîsĭ(n) mălăkoîs	μᾰλᾰκῇσῐ μᾰλᾰκῇσῐν μᾰλᾰκῇς μᾰλᾰκαῖς mălăkēîsĭ(n) mălăkēîs mălăkaîs	μᾰλᾰκοῖσῐ μᾰλᾰκοῖσῐν μᾰλᾰκοῖς mălăkoîsĭ(n) mălăkoîs
Accusative		μᾰλᾰκόν mălăkón	μᾰλᾰκήν mălăkḗn	μᾰλᾰκόν mălăkón		μᾰλᾰκώ mălăkṓ	μᾰλᾰκᾱ́ mălăkā́	μᾰλᾰκώ mălăkṓ		μᾰλᾰκούς mălăkoús	μᾰλᾰκᾱ́ς mălăkā́s	μᾰλᾰκᾰ́ mălăkắ
Vocative		μᾰλᾰκέ mălăké	μᾰλᾰκή mălăkḗ	μᾰλᾰκόν mălăkón		μᾰλᾰκώ mălăkṓ	μᾰλᾰκᾱ́ mălăkā́	μᾰλᾰκώ mălăkṓ		μᾰλᾰκοί mălăkoí	μᾰλᾰκαί mălăkaí	μᾰλᾰκᾰ́ mălăkắ
Derived forms		Adverb				Comparative				Superlative
		μᾰλᾰκῶς mălăkôs				μᾰλᾰκώτερος mălăkṓteros				μᾰλᾰκώτᾰτος mălăkṓtătos
Notes:		Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “soft”): σκληρός (sklērós)
• (antonym(s) of “incapable of bearing pain”): καρτερικός (karterikós)

Derived terms

• μᾰλᾰκίᾱ (mălăkíā)
• μᾰλᾰκίζω (mălăkízō)
• μᾰλᾰκόλᾰλος (mălăkólălos)
• μᾰλᾰκόστρᾰκος (mălăkóstrăkos)
• μᾰλάσσω (mălássō)

Descendants

• → Coptic: ⲙⲁⲗⲁⲕⲟⲥ (malakos)
• → English: malaco- (learned)
• → French: malaco- (learned)
• Greek: μαλακός (malakós)
• → Italian: malaco- (learned)
• → Latin: malacus

Noun

μᾰλᾰκός • (mălăkós) m (genitive μᾰλᾰκοῦ); second declension

1. A person who is soft or gentle
2. A person who is morally weak; a degenerate
3. (sexual) bottom; sub

Inflection

Second declension of ὁ μᾰλᾰκός; τοῦ μᾰλᾰκοῦ (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ μᾰλᾰκός ho mălăkós	τὼ μᾰλᾰκώ tṑ mălăkṓ	οἱ μᾰλᾰκοί hoi mălăkoí
Genitive	τοῦ μᾰλᾰκοῦ toû mălăkoû	τοῖν μᾰλᾰκοῖν toîn mălăkoîn	τῶν μᾰλᾰκῶν tôn mălăkôn
Dative	τῷ μᾰλᾰκῷ tōî mălăkōî	τοῖν μᾰλᾰκοῖν toîn mălăkoîn	τοῖς μᾰλᾰκοῖς toîs mălăkoîs
Accusative	τὸν μᾰλᾰκόν tòn mălăkón	τὼ μᾰλᾰκώ tṑ mălăkṓ	τοὺς μᾰλᾰκούς toùs mălăkoús
Vocative	μᾰλᾰκέ mălăké	μᾰλᾰκώ mălăkṓ	μᾰλᾰκοί mălăkoí
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Second declension of μᾰλᾰκός; μᾰλᾰκοῖο / μᾰλᾰκόο / μᾰλᾰκοῦ (Epic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	μᾰλᾰκός mălăkós	μᾰλᾰκώ mălăkṓ	μᾰλᾰκοί mălăkoí
Genitive	μᾰλᾰκοῖο / μᾰλᾰκόο / μᾰλᾰκοῦ mălăkoîo / mălăkóo / mălăkoû	μᾰλᾰκοῖῐ̈ν mălăkoîĭ̈n	μᾰλᾰκῶν mălăkôn
Dative	μᾰλᾰκῷ mălăkōî	μᾰλᾰκοῖῐ̈ν mălăkoîĭ̈n	μᾰλᾰκοῖσῐ / μᾰλᾰκοῖσῐν / μᾰλᾰκοῖς mălăkoîsĭ(n) / mălăkoîs
Accusative	μᾰλᾰκόν mălăkón	μᾰλᾰκώ mălăkṓ	μᾰλᾰκούς mălăkoús
Vocative	μᾰλᾰκέ mălăké	μᾰλᾰκώ mălăkṓ	μᾰλᾰκοί mălăkoí
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms may be based on conjecture. Use with caution.

Further reading

• “μαλακός”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “μαλακός”, in Liddell & Scott (1889), An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “μαλακός”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891), A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• μαλακός in Bailly, Anatole (1935), Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• μαλακός in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• “μαλακός”, in Slater, William J. (1969), Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
• G3120 in Strong, James (1979), Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910), English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • balmy idem, page 60.
  • be comfortable, v. idem, page 66.
  • cowardly idem, page 181.
  • dainty idem, page 193.
  • delicate idem, page 207.
  • effeminate idem, page 262.
  • exquisite idem, page 296.
  • feeble idem, page 313.
  • gentle idem, page 357.
  • infirm idem, page 438.
  • invertebrate idem, page 457.
  • languid idem, page 475.
  • languishing idem, page 476.
  • lifeless idem, page 489.
  • limp idem, page 492.
  • luxurious idem, page 506.
  • maudlin idem, page 518.
  • meek idem, page 522.
  • mild idem, page 529.
  • negligent idem, page 555.
  • nerveless idem, page 556.
  • remiss idem, page 693.
  • sentimental idem, page 754.
  • slack idem, page 782.
  • smooth idem, page 788.
  • soft idem, page 791.
  • supine idem, page 840.
  • tender idem, page 861.
  • timid idem, page 876.
  • unmanly idem, page 925.
  • unresisting idem, page 929.
  • voluptuous idem, page 957.
  • weak idem, page 969.
  • womanish idem, page 986.
  • yielding idem, page 996.
• μαλακός, in ΛΟΓΕΙΟΝ [Logeion] Dictionaries for Ancient Greek and Latin (in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Chinese), University of Chicago, since 2011

Greek

Etymology

From Ancient Greek μαλακός (malakós).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ma.laˈkos/
• Hyphenation: μα‧λα‧κός

Adjective

μαλακός • (malakós) m (feminine μαλακή or μαλακιά, neuter μαλακό)

1. soft
2. meek, compliant
3. gentle, mild, mild-mannered, mellow
4. (metallurgy) malleable

Declension

Declension of μαλακός

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	μαλακός (malakós)	μαλακή (malakí) μαλακιά (malakiá)	μαλακό (malakó)		μαλακοί (malakoí)	μαλακές (malakés)	μαλακά (malaká)
genitive	μαλακού (malakoú)	μαλακής (malakís) μαλακιάς (malakiás)	μαλακού (malakoú)		μαλακών (malakón)	μαλακών (malakón)	μαλακών (malakón)
accusative	μαλακό (malakó)	μαλακή (malakí) μαλακιά (malakiá)	μαλακό (malakó)		μαλακούς (malakoús)	μαλακές (malakés)	μαλακά (malaká)
vocative	μαλακέ (malaké)	μαλακή (malakí) μαλακιά (malakiá)	μαλακό (malakó)		μαλακοί (malakoí)	μαλακές (malakés)	μαλακά (malaká)

Derivations:
Comparative: πιο + positive forms (e.g. πιο μαλακός, etc.)
Relative superlative: definite article + πιο + positive forms (e.g. ο πιο μαλακός, etc.)

Degrees of comparison by suffixation

comparative (?) singular plural masculine feminine neuter masculine feminine neuter nominative μαλακότερος (malakóteros) μαλακότερη (malakóteri) μαλακότερο (malakótero) μαλακότεροι (malakóteroi) μαλακότερες (malakóteres) μαλακότερα (malakótera) genitive μαλακότερου (malakóterou) μαλακότερης (malakóteris) μαλακότερου (malakóterou) μαλακότερων (malakóteron) μαλακότερων (malakóteron) μαλακότερων (malakóteron) accusative μαλακότερο (malakótero) μαλακότερη (malakóteri) μαλακότερο (malakótero) μαλακότερους (malakóterous) μαλακότερες (malakóteres) μαλακότερα (malakótera) vocative μαλακότερε (malakótere) μαλακότερη (malakóteri) μαλακότερο (malakótero) μαλακότεροι (malakóteroi) μαλακότερες (malakóteres) μαλακότερα (malakótera) Derivations: relative superlative: ο + comparative forms: e.g. ο μαλακότερος (o malakóteros), etc. absolute superlative (?) singular plural masculine feminine neuter masculine feminine neuter nominative μαλακότατος (malakótatos) μαλακότατη (malakótati) μαλακότατο (malakótato) μαλακότατοι (malakótatoi) μαλακότατες (malakótates) μαλακότατα (malakótata) genitive μαλακότατου (malakótatou) μαλακότατης (malakótatis) μαλακότατου (malakótatou) μαλακότατων (malakótaton) μαλακότατων (malakótaton) μαλακότατων (malakótaton) accusative μαλακότατο (malakótato) μαλακότατη (malakótati) μαλακότατο (malakótato) μαλακότατους (malakótatous) μαλακότατες (malakótates) μαλακότατα (malakótata) vocative μαλακότατε (malakótate) μαλακότατη (malakótati) μαλακότατο (malakótato) μαλακότατοι (malakótatoi) μαλακότατες (malakótates) μαλακότατα (malakótata)

Antonyms

• σκληρός (sklirós, “hard, tough”)

Related terms

• μαλακά (malaká, “gently”)