𐌼𐌰𐌻𐍉

Gothic

Etymology

Derived from 𐌼𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌽 (malan, “to grind”) with the sense of "grinding one", from Proto-Indo-European *melh₂-, in which lies also the origin of Old Norse mǫlr (“moth”) and Old High German miliwa (“mite”) (whence German Milbe).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈma.loː/

Noun

𐌼𐌰𐌻𐍉 • (malō) ?

2. moth (insect)
   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Matthew (Codex Argenteus) 6.19–20:

     𐌽𐌹 𐌷𐌿𐌶𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌹𐌸 𐌹𐌶𐍅𐌹𐍃 𐌷𐌿𐌶𐌳𐌰 𐌰𐌽𐌰 𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐌰𐌹, 𐌸𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹 𐌼𐌰𐌻𐍉 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌽𐌹𐌳𐍅𐌰 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌴𐌹𐌸, 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌸𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌱𐍉𐍃 𐌿𐍆𐌲𐍂𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌳 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌷𐌻𐌹𐍆𐌰𐌽𐌳. / 𐌹𐌸 𐌷𐌿𐌶𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌹𐌸 𐌹𐌶𐍅𐌹𐍃 𐌷𐌿𐌶𐌳𐌰 𐌹𐌽 𐌷𐌹𐌼𐌹𐌽𐌰, 𐌸𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹 𐌽𐌹𐌷 𐌼𐌰𐌻𐍉 𐌽𐌹𐌷 𐌽𐌹𐌳𐍅𐌰 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌴𐌹𐌸, 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌸𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌱𐍉𐍃 𐌽𐌹 𐌿𐍆𐌲𐍂𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌳 𐌽𐌹𐌷 𐍃𐍄𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌽𐌳.

     ni huzdjaiþ izwis huzda ana airþai, þarei malō jah nidwa frawardeiþ, jah þarei þiubōs ufgraband jah hlifand. / iþ huzdjaiþ izwis huzda in himina, þarei nih malō nih nidwa frawardeiþ, jah þarei þiubōs ni ufgraband nih stiland.

     Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: / But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: (KJV).

Declension

The word is only attested in the nominative singular, which is not enough to determine whether it is a feminine ōn-stem or neuter an-stem.

Coordinate terms

• 𐌼𐌰𐌸𐌰 (maþa, “maggot”)
• 𐌸𐍂𐌰𐌼𐍃𐍄𐌴𐌹 (þramstei, “locust”)

Related terms

• 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌻𐍅𐌾𐌰𐌽 (gamalwjan, “to crush”)
• 𐌼𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌽 (malan, “to grind”)
• 𐌼𐌰𐌻𐌼𐌰 (malma, “sand”)
• 𐌼𐌿𐌻𐌳𐌰 (mulda, “soil, dust”)

See also

• 𐌽𐌹𐌳𐍅𐌰 (nidwa, “rust, corrosion”)

References

• Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986) “M17. malo”, in A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the 3rd ed. of Feist’s dictionary, Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 243

Further reading

• Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910). Die gotische Bibel. Zweiter Teil: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg: Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, p. 89