malus

See also: Malus

English

Etymology

From Latin, by analogy with bonus ‎(“additional compensation”)

Noun

malus ‎(plural maluses)

1. (business) The return of performance-related compensation originally paid by an employer to an employee as a result of the discovery of a defect in the performance.

   When bank fired the loan originator, they recovered the last two years of her bonuses under the malus clause in her contract.

Usage notes

• Might occur in financial services in connection with defaulted loans.

Synonyms

• clawback

Coordinate terms

• disgorgement

Anagrams

• alums, lumas, mauls

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Latin

Etymology 1

From Proto-Italic, related to Oscan mallom and mallud ‎(“bad”). Originally associated with Ancient Greek μέλας ‎(mélas, “black, dark”), but support for this is waning. Perhaps from the same Proto-Indo-European root as Avestan 𐬨𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀 ‎(mairiia, “treacherous”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈma.lus/

• Audio (Classical)

  (file)

Adjective

malus m ‎(feminine mala, neuter malum, comparative peior, superlative pessimus); first/second declension

1. bad, evil, wicked, injurious

   Malus et nequam homo.

   An evil and wicked man.

   Malam opinionem habere de aliquo.

   To have a bad opinion of someone.

   Consuetudo mala.

   A bad habit.

2. destructive, mischievous, hurtful
3. ill-looking, ugly, deformed
4. (of fate) evil, unlucky

   Pessima puella.

   The unluckiest girl.

Inflection

First/second declension.

Number	Singular				Plural
Case/Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
nominative	malus	mala	malum		malī	malae	mala
genitive	malī	malae	malī		malōrum	malārum	malōrum
dative	malō	malae	malō		malīs	malīs	malīs
accusative	malum	malam	malum		malōs	malās	mala
ablative	malō	malā	malō		malīs	malīs	malīs
vocative	male	mala	malum		malī	malae	mala

This adjective has irregular comparative and superlative degrees.

• comparative: pēior (worse), superlative: pessimus (worst)

Antonyms

• (bad): bonus

Derived terms

• carmen malum
• male
• maledīcō
• malefaciō
• malum in sē

Descendants

• Asturian: malu
• Catalan: mal
• Dalmatian: mul
• English: malus
• French: mal
• Friulian: mâl
• Italian: malo

• Occitan: mal
• Portuguese: mau
• Romansch: mal, mel
• Sardinian: malu
• Sicilian: malu
• Spanish: malo

Etymology 2

From Ancient Greek μηλέα ‎(mēléa) (See also Ancient Greek μᾶλον ‎(mâlon, “apple”)).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈmaː.lus/

• Audio (Classical)

  (file)

Noun

mālus f ‎(genitive mālī); second declension

1. an apple tree

   Malus bifera.

   An apple tree bearing fruit biannually.

   Et steriles platani malos gessere valentes.

   And the fruitless plane trees have borne strong apple trees.

   Felices arbores putantur esse quercus vel malus.

   The fruitful trees are thought to be an oak or apple tree.

Inflection

Second declension.

Number	Singular	Plural
nominative	mālus	mālī
genitive	mālī	mālōrum
dative	mālō	mālīs
accusative	mālum	mālōs
ablative	mālō	mālīs
vocative	māle	mālī

Derived terms

• mālus grānāta
• mālus domestica

Descendants

• Translingual: Malus
• Aromanian: mer
• Italian: melo
• Romanian: măr

Etymology 3

By some referred to root mac-, from the Ancient Greek word μακρός ‎(makrós, “long”) and Latin magnus ‎(“long”); but perhaps the same word with malus.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈmaː.lus/

Noun

mālus m ‎(genitive mālī); second declension

1. a mast of a ship

   Antemnas ad malos destinare.

   To fasten the sails to the masts.

   Malum erigi imperavit.

   He has ordered the mast to be erected.

   Attolli malos.

   The masts are lifted.

2. a standard or pole to which the awnings spread over the theater were attached
3. the beam in the middle of a winepress
4. the corner beams of a tower

   Turrium mali.

   Beams of the towers.

Inflection

Second declension.

Number	Singular	Plural
nominative	mālus	mālī
genitive	mālī	mālōrum
dative	mālō	mālīs
accusative	mālum	mālōs
ablative	mālō	mālīs
vocative	māle	mālī

References

• “malus” in Charlton T. Lewis & Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1879.
• OLD, p. 1069