mal cativo

Galician edit

Etymology edit

Attested since the 18th century. From mal (“sickness”) cativo (“little”), "[the] little sickness"

Pronunciation edit

IPA^(key): [ˈmal kɑˈtiβʊ]

Noun edit

mal cativo m (plural males cativos)

(historical, pathology) an unidentified sickness (18th-19th centuries)
- 1775, María Francisca Isla y Losada, Romance:
  Teño moitos calafrios,
  á quentura ben detràs,
  receo, si hè ò mal catìbo,
  Dios che me'arrede detàl.
  I have many shivers
  the fever rises just next
  I fear it is the mal cativo,
  God keeps me away from that
(folklore) a nervous sickness, thought to be caused by evil eye or other malediction
1. (pathology, folklore) ataxia
2. (pathology, folklore) syphilis

Usage notes edit

It is always preceded by the definite article o (or any of its alternative forms) so as to differentiate it from un mal cativo, "a little sickness".

References edit

“mal” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006–2013.
“mal cativo” in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago: ILG.
“mal cativo” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.