mali

See also: Mali, Malí, mǎlì, māli, and mạ lị

Contents

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈmɑːli/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈmæli/
• Hyphenation: ma‧li

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Hindi माली (mālī, “a gardener”), from Sanskrit माली (mālī, “a wreath-maker, a garland-maker; a florist; a gardener”), from माला (mālā, “wreath, garland; chaplet, crown”).

Noun

mali (plural malis)

2. (India, South Asia) A member of a caste in South Asia whose traditional occupation is gardening; hence, any native gardener. [from 18th c.]
   • 1840, G. T. Frederic Speede, Indian Hand-book of Gardening, Calcutta: W. Thacker & Co. St. Andrew's Library, OCLC 474754220, page 1:

     [H]ence the slow progress hitherto made in the cultivation of such produce of the garden as is generally held in estimation by the European portion of the community, left as it generally is, to the simple Hindoo mallee (or gardener,) it is not to be wondered at, that our bazars want what are deemed the more delicate articles of vegetable production for the table; […]

   • 1848, “Report of Exhibitions of Vegetables, Fruits, Flowers and Agricultural Produce, Held at Bhaugulpore, on 11th February and 25th May, 1848. (Communicated by Major [T. E. A.] Napleton, Honorary Secretary Branch Agri-Horticultural Society.)”, in Journal of the Agricultural & Horticultural Society of India, volume VI, part II (Correspondence and Selections), number 3, Calcutta: Bishop's College Press, OCLC 648779148, page 125:

     Prizes were awarded to ten other mallees for best samples of vegetables, fruits and flowers, and last though not least we have to note, that a prize of two rupees was awarded to the mallee of Robert Fulton, Esq., of Sultangunge, for a remarkably fine bunch of grapes, clearly showing that either the soil of Mr. Fulton's garden, the climate of Sultangunge, or the skill of that gentleman's gardener, are highly favorable to the growth, and bringing to maturity of this delicious fruit.

   • 1871 November 29, “Cachar: Further Correspondence on the Subject of the Looshai Raids and the Consequent Hostilities (in Continuation of Paper, No. 398, of 1871)”, in Accounts and Papers: Thirty-six Volumes, volume X (East India—continued), [London]: Ordered, by The House of Commons, to be printed, published 28 May 1872, OCLC 941810036, page 301:

     I sent down dhobies, sweepers, cooks, and mallees, last to dig trenches for burying the dead, when burning was not possible.

   • 1924, EM Forster, A Passage to India, Penguin 2005, p. 190:

     And, as always, an Indian close outside the window, a mali in this case, picking up sounds.

   • 2008, Amitav Ghosh, Sea of Poppies, Penguin 2015, p. 99:

     the malis who tended the gardens, no less than the owners themselves, vied to outdo each other in the fancifulness of their plantings, creating here a little patch of topiary and there an avenue of trees, trimmed in the French fashion […].

Alternative forms

• mallee

Etymology 2

From Xhosa imali, Zulu imali (“money”), both ultimately from Swahili mali.

Noun

mali (uncountable)

1. (South Africa) Money, cash. [from 19th c.]

References

Anagrams

• Liam, Lima, Mila, alim, lima, mail

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Albanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mali/

Noun

mali ? definite singular form of mal

1. mountain

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Amis

Noun

mali

1. ball

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Bunun

Noun

mali

1. ball

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Finnish

Noun

mali

1. wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)

Declension

Inflection of mali (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative		mali	malit
genitive		malin	malien
partitive		malia	maleja
illative		maliin	maleihin
		singular	plural
nominative		mali	malit
accusative	nom.	mali	malit
	gen.	malin
genitive		malin	malien
partitive		malia	maleja
inessive		malissa	maleissa
elative		malista	maleista
illative		maliin	maleihin
adessive		malilla	maleilla
ablative		malilta	maleilta
allative		malille	maleille
essive		malina	maleina
translative		maliksi	maleiksi
instructive		—	malein
abessive		malitta	maleitta
comitative		—	maleineen

Synonyms

• koiruoho

Anagrams

• Ilma, Mila, ilma, lima

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Italian

Noun

mali m

1. plural of male

Anagrams

• almi
• lami
• lima
• mail
• mila

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Kavalan

Noun

mali

1. ball

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Latin

Noun

mālī

1. nominative plural of mālus
2. genitive singular of mālus
3. vocative plural of mālus

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Latvian

Verb

mali

1. 2nd person singular past indicative form of malt

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Lubuagan Kalinga

Noun

mali

1. peanut

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Norwegian Nynorsk

Verb

mali

1. (non-standard since 2012) past participle of mala and male

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Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈma.lʲi/

Adjective

mali

1. inflection of mały:
   1. masculine personal nominative plural
   2. masculine personal vocative plural

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Sardinian

Etymology

From Latin male. Compare Italian male.

Adverb

mali

1. badly

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Sicilian

Etymology

From Latin malus. Compare Italian mali, male.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈma.lɪ/
• Hyphenation: mà‧li

Adjective

mali m pl or f pl

1. masculine plural of malu; bad.
2. feminine plural of malu

Inflection

	Masculine	Feminine
Singular	malu	mala
Plural	mali	mali

Noun

mali m (plural mali)

1. evil, harm

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Swahili

Etymology

From Arabic مَال‎ (māl, “property”).

Noun

mali (ma class, plural only)

1. wealth, riches
2. property

Usage notes

This word is morphologically plural but semantically singular. If a plural sense is required, it may be put in the n class.

Descendants

• → Ila: madi
• → Northern Ndebele: imali
• → Rwanda-Rundi: imari
• → Shona: mari
• → Sotho: imali
• → Xhosa: imali
• → Zulu: imali

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Tagalog

Adjective

malî

1. wrong

Anagrams

• lima

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Woiwurrung

Noun

mali

1. mallee