Mahl

See also: mahl

East Central German

Etymology

From Middle High German mel (genitive melwes), from Old High German melo, from Proto-West Germanic *melu. Cognate with Dutch meel, English meal (“flour”).

Noun

Mahl n

1. (Erzgebirgisch) flour; meal (ground cereal)
2. (Erzgebirgisch) powder; dust (any result of grinding)

Further reading

• 2020 June 11, Hendrik Heidler, Hendrik Heidler's 400 Seiten: Echtes Erzgebirgisch: Wuu de Hasen Hoosn haaßn un de Hosen Huusn do sei mir drhamm: Das Original Wörterbuch: Ratgeber und Fundgrube der erzgebirgischen Mund- und Lebensart: Erzgebirgisch – Deutsch / Deutsch – Erzgebirgisch‎, 3. geänderte Auflage edition, Norderstedt: BoD – Books on Demand, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 83:

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maːl/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Homophones: Mal, mal, mahl
• Rhymes: -aːl

Etymology 1

The same word as Mal (“time”), from Middle High German māl, from Old High German māl, from Proto-West Germanic *māl.

The sense “meal” developed from “mealtime” as also in cognate English meal. Further cognate with Dutch maal, Danish mål (“goal”).

The orthographic distinction from Mal began in Early Modern German, probably in part under influence of etymology 2 below, which was then becoming obsolete. Later grammarians, at any rate, were in doubt about which of the two was the origin of the word for “meal”.

Noun

Mahl n (strong, genitive Mahles or Mahls, plural Mähler or Mahle)

1. (higher register) meal, repast

   Synonyms: Essen, Mahlzeit

Declension

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	das	Mahl	die	Mähler, Mahle
genitive	eines	des	Mahles, Mahls	der	Mähler, Mahle
dative	einem	dem	Mahl, Mahle1	den	Mählern, Mahlen
accusative	ein	das	Mahl	die	Mähler, Mahle

Declension of Mahl [neuter, strong]

¹Now rare, see notes.

Derived terms

• Abendmahl
• Henkersmahl
• Mahlzeit

Etymology 2

From Middle High German mahel, from Old High German mahal, from Proto-West Germanic *maþl, from Proto-Germanic *maþlą, *mahlą. Cognate with Danish mål (“language”), Icelandic mál.

Noun

Mahl n (strong, genitive Mahles or Mahls, plural Mahle)

1. (obsolete) a public assembly or council, especially for judicial purposes

Related terms

• Gemahl
• vermählen

Further reading

• “Mahl” in Duden online
• “Mahl” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache