माला

See also: मल, मूल, माल, and माली

Hindi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit माला (mālā). Compare Nepali माला (mālā), Pali mālā.

Pronunciation

• (Delhi Hindi) IPA^(key): /mɑː.lɑː/, [mäː.läː]

Noun

माला • (mālā) f (Urdu spelling مالا)

1. garland, wreath
2. necklace, rosary

Declension

Declension of माला (fem ā-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	माला mālā	मालाएँ mālāẽ
oblique	माला mālā	मालाओं mālāõ
vocative	माला mālā	मालाओ mālāo

Nepali

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mälä]
• Phonetic Devanagari: माला

Noun

माला • (mālā)

1. garland
2. necklace, rosary

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative forms

• mālā (Latin script)
• 𑀫𑀸𑀮𑀸 (Brahmi script)
• মালা (Bengali script)
• මාලා (Sinhalese script)
• မာလာ or မႃလႃ (Burmese script)
• มาลา (Thai script)
• ᨾᩣᩃᩣ (Tai Tham script)
• ມາລາ (Lao script)
• មាលា (Khmer script)
• 𑄟𑄂𑄣𑄂 (Chakma script)

Noun

माला f

1. Devanagari script form of mālā

Declension

Declension table of "माला" (feminine)

Case \ Number	Singular	Plural
Nominative (first)	माला (mālā)	मालायो (mālāyo) or माला (mālā)
Accusative (second)	मालं (mālaṃ)	मालायो (mālāyo) or माला (mālā)
Instrumental (third)	मालाय (mālāya)	मालाहि (mālāhi) or मालाभि (mālābhi)
Dative (fourth)	मालाय (mālāya)	मालानं (mālānaṃ)
Ablative (fifth)	मालाय (mālāya)	मालाहि (mālāhi) or मालाभि (mālābhi)
Genitive (sixth)	मालाय (mālāya)	मालानं (mālānaṃ)
Locative (seventh)	मालाय (mālāya) or मालायं (mālāyaṃ)	मालासु (mālāsu)
Vocative (calling)	माले (māle)	मालायो (mālāyo) or माला (mālā)

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• মালা (Assamese script)
• ᬫᬵᬮᬵ (Balinese script)
• মালা (Bengali script)
• 𑰦𑰯𑰩𑰯 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀫𑀸𑀮𑀸 (Brahmi script)
• မာလာ (Burmese script)
• માલા (Gujarati script)
• ਮਾਲਾ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌮𑌾𑌲𑌾 (Grantha script)
• ꦩꦴꦭꦴ (Javanese script)
• 𑂧𑂰𑂪𑂰 (Kaithi script)
• ಮಾಲಾ (Kannada script)
• មាលា (Khmer script)
• ມາລາ (Lao script)
• മാലാ (Malayalam script)
• ᠮᠠ᠎᠊ᠠᠯᠠᢇ (Manchu script)
• 𑘦𑘰𑘩𑘰 (Modi script)
• ᠮᠠᢗᠯᠠ᠋᠎ᠠ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧆𑧑𑧉𑧑 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐩𑐵𑐮𑐵 (Newa script)
• ମାଲା (Odia script)
• ꢪꢵꢭꢵ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆩𑆳𑆬𑆳 (Sharada script)
• 𑖦𑖯𑖩𑖯 (Siddham script)
• මාලා (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩴𑩛𑩽𑩛 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚢𑚭𑚥𑚭 (Takri script)
• மாலா (Tamil script)
• మాలా (Telugu script)
• มาลา (Thai script)
• མཱ་ལཱ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒧𑒰𑒪𑒰 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨢𑨊𑨬𑨊 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Probably borrowed from Dravidian; compare Tamil மாலை (mālai, “garland”) and Telugu మాల (māla​, “garland”). In this case, the Sanskrit term is borrowed from Dravidian, rather than the other way around.

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /mɑː.lɑː/
• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈmɑː.l̪ɑː/

Noun

माला • (mālā) stem, f

1. garland, wreath, crown
2. a string of beads, necklace, rosary
3. a row, line, streak
4. a series, regular succession
5. (rhetoric) a series of epithets or similes
6. (drama) a series of offerings for obtaining any object of desire
7. (astrology) a particular Dala-yoga

Declension

Feminine ā-stem declension of माला (mālā)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	माला mālā	माले māle	मालाः mālāḥ
Vocative	माले māle	माले māle	मालाः mālāḥ
Accusative	मालाम् mālām	माले māle	मालाः mālāḥ
Instrumental	मालया / माला¹ mālayā / mālā¹	मालाभ्याम् mālābhyām	मालाभिः mālābhiḥ
Dative	मालायै mālāyai	मालाभ्याम् mālābhyām	मालाभ्यः mālābhyaḥ
Ablative	मालायाः / मालायै² mālāyāḥ / mālāyai²	मालाभ्याम् mālābhyām	मालाभ्यः mālābhyaḥ
Genitive	मालायाः / मालायै² mālāyāḥ / mālāyai²	मालयोः mālayoḥ	मालानाम् mālānām
Locative	मालायाम् mālāyām	मालयोः mālayoḥ	मालासु mālāsu
Notes	¹Vedic ²Brāhmaṇas

Descendants

• → Bengali: মালা (mala) (learned)
• → Thai: มาลา (maa-laa)

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “माला”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 813/3.
• Mayrhofer, Manfred (1996) Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎^[1] (in German), volume 2, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 351
• Mayrhofer, Manfred (1963) Kurzgefasstes Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen [A Concise Etymological Sanskrit Dictionary] (in German), volume 2, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 628
• Trautmann, T. R. (2005). The Aryan Debate (Oxford in India Readings: Debates in Indian History and Society). India: Oxford University Press, p. 33