Last modified on 30 July 2014, at 23:01

See also: 말하다


Alternative formsEdit

  • (mol) (mostly obsolete)

Etymology 1Edit

릴 ←

맬 →

First recorded in the Yongbi eocheonga, 1447, as 말.


Etymology 2Edit

Of native Korean origin.



  1. word, speech, language
Derived termsEdit
  • 낱말 (nanmal, “a single word”)
  • 한국말 (han-gungmal, “Korean speech”)
  • 말씀 (malsseum, “(honorific) word”)
  • 말하다 (malhada, “to say, speak, talk”)

See alsoEdit

Etymology 3Edit

First recorded in the Yongbi eocheonga, 1447, as 𨥬.

Probably related to Japanese (uma).

The ma sound denoting "horse" is common to a number of languages of central Asia, where horses were first domesticated, suggesting a possible cognate root. Compare Manchu ᠮᠣᡵᡳᠨ (morin, horse), Mongol морь (morj, horse), Mandarin (, horse), and Proto-Indo-European *mark(')- (horse) and descendants such as Irish marc (horse, archaic) or English mare (female horse). More at *mark(')-.



(mal) (counter 마리)

  1. horse
  2. sawhorse
  3. checker, checkerman
Derived termsEdit

Etymology 4Edit

Native Korean related to Sino-Korean



  1. measure (containing about 18 liters or 10 doe ())
  2. a unit of measure (about 18 liters)
  3. (prefix): great, e.g., 말, 말개미, 말잠자리
See alsoEdit
  • (doe) 1/10 mal
  • (hob) 1/100 mal
  • (jag) 1/1000 mal

Etymology 5Edit

Short form of 말뚝



  1. stake
    • 1461: 은 말히라 (楞嚴經諺解 (활자본) 8:85)

Etymology 6Edit

First recorded in the Hunmong jahoe, 1527, as 𨥬.



  1. an alga or other waterborne cryptogam
  2. seaweed
    1. specifically Potamogeton oxyphyllus.
See alsoEdit

Etymology 7Edit

Sino-Korean word from  (“end”).


(mal) (hanja )

  1. end