nt instr sg of mala (noun)
Etymology. From Indo-European *mel- 'to grind, crush, soften into powder'; cognate with English 'meal' (ground grain) and Latin molere 'to grind'. The sense evolved from physical grinding and pulverization to disintegration and decay, hence filth and contamination. In Buddhist usage, mala denotes the mental defilements (kilesa) that obscure understanding.
Meanings from the Digital Pāḷi Dictionary; morphology and etymology by Claude.
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