Included with:
μάλα [μᾰλᾰ; but [
Refs 8th c.BC+] sometimes uses the
ultima long before λ, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; before μ, [
Refs]
adverb very, exceedingly, prefixed or subjoined to Adjectives, Verbs, and Adverbs:
1) strengthening the word with which it stands,
1.a) with
adjectives, in [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
very many, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; μ. πᾶσα, μ. πάντα,
every one, all
together, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; μάλ᾽ ἀσκηθής
all unhurt, [
Refs]; ἀβληχρὸς μ. τοῖος
quite gentle, [
Refs]; σαρδάνιον μ. τοῖον a
quite sardonic smile,[
Refs]; ἐμέο πρότερος μ.
actually before me, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; later, μ. φιλόσοφοι, πλάτανος μάλ᾽ ἀμφιλαφής, etc, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
very old, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
1.b) with Advs, πάγχυ μ, μ. πάγχυ,
quite utterly, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; εὖ μ.
right well, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; μάλ᾽ αὐτίκα (see. αὐτίκα); μάλ᾽ αἰεί for ever and aye, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἄχρι μ. κνέφαος until
quite dark, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; μάλ᾽ ὧδε
just in this way, [
Refs]; μ. διαμπερές
right through, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; μ. μόλις (see. μόλις); to express repeated action, μάλ᾽ αὖθις [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; μ. alone, ἔα, ἔα μ. [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
1.c) with Verbs, μήτ᾽ ἄρ με μάλ᾽ αἴνεε [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἡ δὲ μάλ᾽ ἡνιόχευεν drove
carefully, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; μ. προπέμπει
in earnest, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
2) strengthening an assertion, νῦν σε μ. χρὴ αἰχμητὴν ἔμεναι, i.e. now
or never, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; τῷ κε μάλ᾽ ἤ κεν μεῖνε. then
doubtless he would have stayed, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; σοὶ δὲ μάλ᾽ ἕψομ᾽ ἐγώ yes
indeed, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἀλλὰ μάλ᾽ ὤφελλες why
plainly, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]. now
in very truth, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
3) in [
Refs 8th c.BC+] if wrath come on him
ever so much, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; also μ. περ with
participle, μ. περ μεμαώς though desiring
never so much, [
Refs]; καὶ μ. περ [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
4) in
Attic dialect frequently in answers,
yes, certainly, μ. γε [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; καὶ μ. ἐπαύσατο
certainly it stopped, [
Refs]
II)
comparative μᾶλλον [ᾱ by nature, Hdn.Gr.[
Refs]
μάλιον [ᾰ] only in [
Refs 7th c.BC+]; late
Doric dialect μαλλότερον [
Refs 5th c.AD+]:—
more, rather, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
more than is expedient, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; παντὸς μ. most assuredly, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]: denoting a constant increase,
more and more, sometimes doubled, μ. μ. [
Refs 5th c.BC+]: in positive sense,
exceedingly, κηρόθι μ. [
Refs 8th c.BC+] —Usage:
II.1) frequently strengthened by other words, πολὺ μ. [
NT+8th c.BC+] somewhat
more, μ. τι περιημέκτεε [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.2) sometimes with a second
comparative, ῥηΐτεροι μ. [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
II.3) μᾶλλον δέ
much more, or
rather, to correct a statement already made, ὁ δεσπότης πέπραγεν εὐτυχέστατα, μ. δ᾽ ὁ Πλοῦτος αὐτός [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὐχὶ μ. ἤ. not so,
but rather so, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.4) μ. δὲ καὶ ἡσυχαίτερα
more or less
violent, [
Refs]
II.5) οὐδὲν μ. none
the more,[
Refs 5th c.BC+]; μηδέν τι μ. ἤ. [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.6) μ. ἤ. followed by οὐ in comparisons, where preference implies rejection or denial, πόλιν ὅλην διαφθεῖραι μᾶλλον ἤ οὐ τοὺς αἰτίους [
Refs 5th c.BC+]: preceded by another
negative, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.7) τὸ μ. καὶ ἧττον, a form of argument,
a fortiori, [
Refs 4th c.BC+]
II.8) παντὸς μ, see at {πᾶς} [
Refs]
III)
superlative μάλιστα most of all, above all, [
Refs 8th c.BC+]; μ. μὲν, ἔπειτα or ἔπειτα δέ,
first and above all, next, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; μ. μὲν, δεύτερον δὲ. [
Refs 4th c.BC+]; μ. μὲν, εἰ δὲ μὴ. [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; μάλιστα μὲν, μᾶλλον μέντοι. [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; μάλιστα, εἰ μὴ δ᾽. [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; δοκέων μιν μ. ταύτης ἂν πείθεσθαι
certainly, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; τί μ; what
precisely? [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ μ. πάντων the
supreme reality, [
Refs 3rd c.AD+]; τὸ μ. εἶναι the
highest degree of being, [
Refs]
III.1) strengthened, ὡς μ.
certainly, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
III.2) with the
Article, ἐς τὰ μ.
in the highest degree, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἰ τὰ μ. ἦσαν ἀληθεῖς if they were
ever so true, [
Refs 4th c.BC+]; εἰ τὰ μ. μὴ τινές, ἀλλὰ πάντες. if (
to put an extreme case) not some, but all, [
Refs]; ἀνὴρ δόκιμος ὁμοῖα τῷ μ. as famous as he that is
most [famous], [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
III.2.b) ἐν τοῖς μ.
especially, as much as any, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]: with a
superlative, ἐν τοῖς μ. ὠμότατος [
Refs 2nd c.AD+]
III.3) added to a
superlative (see. μάλα [
Refs 8th c.BC+]
III.4) μάλιστα for μᾶλλον, μ. τῆς κόρης [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
III.5) with numerals,
in round numbers, about, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; πεντήκοντα
μάλιστα[
Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐς μέσον μάλιστά κῃ
about the middle, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]; μ. σφᾶς μεσοῦν δειπνοῦντας that they were
about the middle of supper, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]
III.6) in answers,
most certainly, [
Refs 5th c.BC+]. (Orig. perhaps
fiercely, compare μαλερός.)