mala
UK[ˈmɑːlə]US[ˈmɑːlə]
n
A spiritual or emotional problem or distress, especially one thought to be caused by sorcery or witchcraft.
n
A feeling of general discomfort, uneasiness, or depression; a vague sense of illness.
Etymology
The word 'mala' is a direct borrowing from Latin, where it served as a noun form of the adjective malus, meaning "bad" or "evil." This Latin root traces back to the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) stem mel-, which conveyed notions of "falsehood, badness, or wrong." In its journey into English, primarily through specialized contexts like anthropology, psychology, and discussions of folk beliefs, 'mala' retained its core association with negative states. It evolved from the general Latin concept of "evil" to specifically denote a type of spiritual or psychological affliction, often one attributed to supernatural causes, thus connecting the ancient idea of abstract "badness" to a modern, culturally-specific diagnosis of distress.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword from Latin, where it functioned as a noun meaning "evil, misfortune, sickness, wrongdoing." It is derived from the Latin adjective malus (bad, evil, wicked).
Examples
The anthropologist described the patient's suffering as a classic case of *mala*, believed to be caused by a curse.
He was overcome by a profound sense of *mala*, a deep unease he couldn't explain.
Traditional healers in the region are often consulted to treat cases of *mala*.