Jump to content

mál

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Faroese

[edit]

Pronunciation

[edit]

Etymology 1

[edit]

From Old Norse mál, from Proto-Germanic *maþlą.

Noun

[edit]

mál n (genitive singular máls, plural mál)

  1. language
  2. speech
  3. talk
  4. matter
  5. (law) cause
Declension
[edit]
n3 singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative mál málið mál málini
accusative mál málið mál málini
dative máli málinum málum málunum
genitive máls málsins mála málanna
Derived terms
[edit]

Etymology 2

[edit]

From Old Norse mál, from Proto-Germanic *mēlą, whence also English meal. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European root *meh₁- (to measure).

Noun

[edit]

mál n (genitive singular máls, plural mál)

  1. measurement, size
Declension
[edit]
n3 singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative mál málið mál málini
accusative mál málið mál málini
dative máli málinum málum málunum
genitive máls málsins mála málanna
Derived terms
[edit]

Icelandic

[edit]

Pronunciation

[edit]

Etymology 1

[edit]

Inherited from Old Norse mál, from Proto-Germanic *maþlą.

Noun

[edit]

mál n (genitive singular máls, nominative plural mál)

  1. language
    Synonyms: tunga, tungumál, (chiefly archaic) sprok
  2. speech
    Synonyms: málfar, tungutak, mæli
  3. matter, affair
  4. (law) cause
  5. (informal) a big deal
Declension
[edit]
Declension of mál (neuter)
singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative mál málið mál málin
accusative mál málið mál málin
dative máli málinu málum málunum
genitive máls málsins mála málanna
Derived terms
[edit]
[edit]

Etymology 2

[edit]

Inherited from Old Norse mál, from Proto-Germanic *mēlą, whence also English meal. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European root *meh₁- (to measure).

Noun

[edit]

mál n (genitive singular máls, nominative plural mál)

  1. measurements, size, dimensions
    Synonym: mæling
  2. a system of measurement
    Synonym: mælikerfi
  3. the appropriate time for something
    Er ekki mál að fara?
    Isn't it time to go?
  4. a meal, mealtime
    Synonym: máltíð
Declension
[edit]
Declension of mál (neuter)
singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative mál málið mál málin
accusative mál málið mál málin
dative máli málinu málum málunum
genitive máls málsins mála málanna
Derived terms
[edit]
[edit]

Old Norse

[edit]

Etymology 1

[edit]

From Proto-Germanic *maþlą, whence also Old Saxon mahal, Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌸𐌻 (maþl).

Noun

[edit]

mál n

  1. language
  2. speech
  3. matter, affair
  4. (poetry) syntactic unit, sentence
  5. (law) cause
Declension
[edit]
Declension of mál (strong a-stem)
neuter singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative mál málit mǫ́l mǫ́lin
accusative mál málit mǫ́l mǫ́lin
dative máli málinu mǫ́lum mǫ́lunum
genitive máls málsins mála málanna
Derived terms
[edit]
  • bragarmál (contraction of unstressed words, literally poetic speech)
Descendants
[edit]
  • Icelandic: mál
  • Faroese: mál
  • Norwegian Bokmål: mål
  • Old Swedish: māl
  • Danish: mål
  • Old English: māl (speech, contract, agreement)

Etymology 2

[edit]

From Proto-Germanic *mēlą (measure, time, occasion), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European root *meh₁- (to measure). Cognate with Old English mǣl, Old Frisian mēl, Old Saxon māl, Old High German māl, Gothic 𐌼𐌴𐌻 (mēl, time, hour).

Noun

[edit]

mál n (genitive máls, plural mál)

  1. measurement, size
  2. season; a quarter of a year
    • c. 1180, Rímbegla:
      í misseri eru mál tvau, í máli eru mánuðr þrír
      in a half-year there are two seasons, in a seasons there are three months
  3. time
    mál es at eta
    it is time to eat
  4. (Low German influence) meal, mealtime
Declension
[edit]
Declension of mál (strong a-stem)
neuter singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative mál málit mǫ́l mǫ́lin
accusative mál málit mǫ́l mǫ́lin
dative máli málinu mǫ́lum mǫ́lunum
genitive máls málsins mála málanna
Descendants
[edit]
  • Icelandic: mál n
  • Faroese: mál n
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: mål n
  • Swedish: mål n
  • Danish: mål n
    • Norwegian Bokmål: mål n

Etymology 3

[edit]

From the same Germanic source as Old Saxon māl and Gothic 𐌼𐌴𐌻 (mēl), probably Proto-Germanic *mēlijaną, used by Ulfilas to translate Ancient Greek γραφή (graphḗ) and γράμμα (grámma). Related to Gothic 𐌼𐌴𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽 (mēljan) (translating Ancient Greek γράφω (gráphō, draw, write)) and German malen (to paint).

Noun

[edit]

mál n

  1. a work of art inlaid in metal, especially on weapons