mollis

See also: Mollis

French

Verb

mollis

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

Participle

mollis m pl

masculine plural of molli

Latin

Etymology

From earlier *molduis, from Proto-Italic *moldus, from Proto-Indo-European *ml̥dus (“soft, weak”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)meld- (“to soften, melt”).^[1]

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

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈmɔl.lɪs]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈmɔl.lis]

Adjective

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

soft, delicate to the touch
- 405 CE, Jerome, 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.
pliant, flexible, supple
- c. 77 CE – 79 CE, Pliny the Elder, 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;
mild, tender
Synonyms: placidus, mītis, clēmēns, lēnis
- 405 CE, Jerome, Vulgate Proverbia.15.1:
  Responsio mollis frangit iram sermo durus suscitat furorem.
  A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
tender, weak
Synonyms: dēbilis, languidus, fractus, tenuis, fessus, aeger, īnfirmus, inops, obnoxius

Antonyms: praevalēns, fortis, potis, potēns, validus, strēnuus, compos

Declension

Third-declension two-termination adjective.

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

Synonyms

(soft): molluscus, tener
(pliant): facilis, flexibilis, lentus
(tender): tener

Antonyms

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

Derived terms

Descendants

Balkan Romance:
- Aromanian: moali, moli
- Istro-Romanian: mole
- Romanian: moale
Italo-Romance:
- Italian: molle
- Neapolitan: muollo
- Sicilian: moḍḍu
North Italian:
- Friulian: mol
- Venetan: mol, molo, moło
Gallo-Romance:
- Catalan: moll
- Occitan: mòl
- Old French: mol
  - Middle French: mol
    - French: mou
    - → Middle English: molle
      - English: mull
Ibero-Romance:
- Old Galician-Portuguese: mole
  - Galician: mol
  - Portuguese: mole
- Spanish: muelle
Insular Romance:
- Sardinian: modde, moddi, moddu
⇒ Vulgar Latin: *molliāre (see there for further descendants)
Borrowings:
- → German: Moll
  - → Norwegian Bokmål: moll
- → Icelandic: moll

References

^ 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

Spanish

Noun