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mollis

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Mollis

French

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Verb

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mollis

  1. inflection of mollir:
    1. first/second-person singular present indicative
    2. first/second-person singular past historic
    3. second-person singular imperative

Participle

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mollis m pl

  1. masculine plural of molli

Latin

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Etymology

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From earlier *molvis, from *mollvis, from *molduis, itself from Proto-Italic *moldus, from Proto-Indo-European *ml̥dus (“soft, weak”),[1] from Proto-Indo-European *(s)meld- (“to soften, melt”). According to De Vaan, the term was likely remade from a u-stem to an i-stem. However, De Vaan suggests that the original u-stem is present in terms such as Latin molluscus, which he explains as a derivation from *moldusko-, from *mldu-sko-.[2]

Cognates include Latin mola, blandus, mortārium, Old Prussian maldai (“boys”), Welsh blydd (“soft”), Old Church Slavonic младъ (mladŭ, “young”), Sanskrit मृदु (mṛdú, “soft, mild, weak”), Old Armenian մեղկ (mełk, “soft, weak”), Ancient Greek βλαδύς (bladús, “weak”) and ἀμαλδύνω (amaldúnō, “to weaken, destroy”). More at mild.

An alternative hypothesis derives it from the Proto-Indo-European root *melh₂- (“to grind, crush, pulverize, mill”) via *mol-n-is; more at malleus.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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mollis (neuter molle, comparative mollior, superlative mollissimus, adverb molliter); third-declension two-termination adjective

  1. soft, delicate to the touch
    • 405 CE, Hieronymus, 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, supple
    • 77 CE – 79 CE, Plinius Maior, Naturalis Historia 23.26:
      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, tender
    Synonyms: placidus, mītis, clēmēns, lēnis
    • 405 CE, Hieronymus, 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
    Synonyms: dēbilis, languidus, fractus, tenuis, fessus, aeger, īnfirmus, inops, obnoxius
    Antonyms: praevalēns, fortis, potis, potēns, validus, strēnuus, compos

Declension

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Third-declension two-termination adjective.

singular plural
masc./fem. neuter masc./fem. neuter
nominative mollis molle mollēs mollia
genitive mollis mollium
dative mollī mollibus
accusative mollem molle mollīs
mollēs 		mollia
ablative mollī mollibus
vocative mollis molle mollēs mollia

Synonyms

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Antonyms

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  • (antonym(s) of “soft”): dūrus
  • (antonym(s) of “pliant”): rigidus

Derived terms

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Descendants

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References

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  1. ^ Sihler, Andrew L. (1995), New Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin, Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 180
  2. ^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008), “mollis”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 386

Further reading

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  • “mollis”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • “mollis”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • "mollis", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
  • “mollis”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Spanish

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Noun

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mollis

  1. plural of molli
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