μάλα, comp. μᾶλλον, sup. μάλιστα: (1) positive, μάλα, very, quite, right, modifying adjectives and other adverbs, and sometimes placed after its word, ἦρι μάλ̓, Il. 9.360; occasionally with substantives, μάλα χρεώ, Ι 197, Od. 18.370; also with verbs (μάλα πολεμίζειν, with might and main), and esp. to strengthen an assertion as a whole, certainly, verily, Il. 3.204. μάλα admits of much variety in translating in connection with its several usages.—(2) comp., μᾶλλον, more, all the more, Od. 5.284; more willingly, more gladly, Il. 5.231, Od. 1.351.—(3) sup., μάλιστα, most, especially, far, by far, with adjectives forming a superlative, Il. 6.433; and even with superlatives themselves, Il. 2.57 f., Il. 24.334.
μάλα [μᾰλᾰ; but Hom. sts. uses the ult. long before λ, Il.3.214, 4.379; before μ, 10.172], Adv.
very, exceedingly
, prefixed or subjoined to Adjectives, Verbs, and Adverbs: 1. strengthening the word with which it stands, a. with Adjs., in Hom. most freq., μάλα πολλά
it stopped, Id.Smp.189a, etc. II. Comp. μᾶλλον [ᾱ by nature, Hdn.Gr.2.932], Ion. μάλιον[ᾰ] only in Tyrt.12.6, cf. Choerob.in An.Ox.2.240; late Dor. μαλλότερονPempel. ap. Stob.4.25.52:—
more, rather
, Il.5.231, Od.1.351, al.: mostly folld. by ἤ, but in Prose also by a gen., μ. τοῦ ξυμφέροντοσ
more than
is expedient, Antipho 5.1; μ. τοῦ δέοντοσPl.Grg.487b, X.Mem.4.3.8 (sts. expressed by μᾶλλον alone, Pl.Phd.63d); οὐπώποτ' ἔργου μ. εἱλόμην λόγουσE.Fr.394; παντὸς μ. most assuredly, Pl.Lg.715d (v. infr. 8); in Id.Ap.36d, οὐκ ἔσθ' ὅτι μ. πρέπει οὕτως, ὡς .., ὡσ is prob. = ἤ (v. ὡσ): denoting a constant increase,
, μ. τι περιημέκτεεHdt.1.114, cf.50, etc.; μ. ἤδη προσδεχομένουTh.8.71. 2. sts. with a second Comp., ῥηί̈τεροι μ.Il.24.243, cf. Hdt.1.32, A.Th.673, Supp.279, S.Ant.1210, E.El.222, Pl.Phd.79e, Is.4.14 (s.v.l.), Arist.Top.116b24. 3.μᾶλλον δέ
much more
.., or
rather
.., to correct a statement already made, ὁ δεσπότης πέπραγεν εὐτυχέστατα, μ. δ' ὁ Πλοῦτος αὐτόσAr.Pl.634; πολλοί, μ. δὲ πάντεσD.18.65, cf. Pl.Smp.173e; so ἢ μ.Corn.ND20, Simp.in Ph.25.16; οὐχὶ μ. ἤ ..not so,
but rather
so .., Th.2.87. 4.μ. δὲ καὶ ἡσυχαίτερα
more
or less
violent
, Id.3.82. 5.οὐδὲν μ. none
the more
, ib.79; οὐδέν τι μ.Pl.Phd.87d; μηδέν τι μ. ἤ ..S.Aj.280. 6.μ. ἤ ..folld. by οὐ in comparisons, where preference implies rejection or denial, πόλιν ὅλην διαφθεῖραι μᾶλλον ἤ οὐ τοὺς αἰτίουσTh.3.36: preceded by another neg., Hdt.4.118, 5.94, 7.16. γ́, etc.: by an interrog. which conveys a neg. force, τίδεῖ ..μᾶλλον, ἤ οὐ ..; X.HG6.3.15. 7.τὸ μ. καὶ ἧττον, a form of argument,
a fortiori
, Arist.Rh.1397b12. 8.παντὸς μ., v. πᾶσ 111.4. III. Sup. μάλιστα