mollis

French

Verb

mollis

1. first-person singular present indicative of mollir
2. second-person singular present indicative of mollir
3. first-person singular past historic of mollir
4. second-person singular past historic of mollir
5. second-person singular imperative of mollir
6. masculine plural form of the past participle of mollir

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Latin

Etymology

From earlier *molduis, from Proto-Indo-European *(h₂)moldus (“soft, weak”), from Proto-Indo-European *mel- (“soft, weak, tender”). Cognates include Old Prussian maldai (“boys”), 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”), Latin blandus, mortārium. More at mild.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈmol.lis/

• Audio (Classical)

  (file)

Adjective

mollis m, f (neuter molle); third declension

1. 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.

2. 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;

3. mild, tender
   • 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.

4. tender, weak
5. (New Latin) Used as a species epithet.

Inflection

Third declension, neuter nominative singular in -e.

Number	Singular			Plural
Case \ Gender	Masc./Fem.	Neuter		Masc./Fem.	Neuter
nominative	mollis	molle		mollēs	mollia
genitive	mollis	mollis		mollium	mollium
dative	mollī	mollī		mollibus	mollibus
accusative	mollem	molle		mollēs	mollia
ablative	mollī	mollī		mollibus	mollibus
vocative	mollis	molle		mollēs	mollia

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

• (soft): dūrus
• (pliant): rigidus

Derived terms

ēmolliō molle mollēscō mollicellus mollicīna

mollicomus molliculus mollificō mollificus mollīmentum

molliō mollipēs molliter mollitia mollitōrius

mollitūdō mollītus mollusca molluscum molluscus

Descendants

• Aromanian: moali
• Catalan: moll
• Friulian: mol
• Galician: mol
• Icelandic: moll
• Istro-Romanian: mole
• Italian: molle
• Old French: mol
  • Middle French: mol
    • English: moll
    • French: mou

• Portuguese: mole
• Romanian: moale
• Sicilian: moddu
• Spanish: muelle
• Venetian: mol, molo, moło

References

• mollis in Charlton T. Lewis & Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1879