μάλιστα (superlative of the adv. μάλα), [fr. Hom. down], adv., especially, chiefly, most of all, above all: Acts xx. 88; xxv. 26; Gal. vi. 10; Phil. iv. 22; 1 Tim. iv. 10; v. 8,17; 2 Tim. iv. 13; Tit. i.10; Philem. 16; 2 Pet. li. 10; μάλιστα γνώστης, especially expert, thoroughly well-informed, Acts xxvi. 3.

μάλιστα malista 12x

most, most of all, chiefly, especially, Acts 20:38; 25:26

μάλιστα, v.s. μάλα.

μάλιστα, “most of all,” ‘‘especially,”’ which occurs 12 times in the NT, and is usually elative, may be illustrated by P Lille I. 26° (iii/B.c.) ἔγραψάς μοι περὶ τῆς els τὴν σησαμείαν γῆς, μάλιστα δὲ περὶ τῆς ἐν ΠΠΤατῶντι, P Goodsp Cairo 415 (mid. ii/B.C.) (= Witkowski’, p. 95) μάλιστα δὲ σαυτοῦ ἐπιμελόμενος, ἵν᾽ ὑγιαίνηις, P Tebt I. go! (B.c. 117) (= Selections, p. 28) διὰ τὸ μάλιστα ἐπιβάλλειν προνοεῖσθαι τῶν βασιλικῶν, ‘“because it devolves upon you before all others to watch over the interests of the Crown”? (Edd.), P Amh II. 1317? (early ii/a.D.) μάλιστα δὲ περὶ τοὺς ἐνυφαντωνι (4. τῶν ἐνυφαντῶν) ὅπως μὴ δίκας λέγωμεν, ‘and in particular look after the woven stuffs, so that we may not have any cross-words” (Edd.), P Giss I. 24? (time of Trajan) τ]ῶν θεῶν [οὖ]ν θελόντων καὶ μάλιστα τοῦ ἀνικήτου “Eppod, and P Oxy VI. 939?° (iv/a.p.) (= Selections, Ρ- 129) νὴ yap τὴν σὴν σωτηρίαν, κύριέ μου, ἧς μάλιστά μοι μέλει κτλ., “for by your own safety, my lord, which chiefly concerns me” etc. In MGr μάλιστα = ‘Sof course,” “quite,” “νεῖν.

μάλιστα (malista) — especially. Included with: μάλα [μᾰλᾰ; but [Refs 8th c.BC+] sometimes uses the ultima long before λ, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; before μ, [Refs] adverb very, exceedingly, prefixed or subjoined to Adjectives, Verbs, and Adverbs:

1. strengthening the word with which it stands,

1. a with adjectives, in [Refs 8th c.BC+] very many, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; μ. πᾶσα, μ. πάντα, every one, all together, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; μάλ᾽ ἀσκηθής all unhurt, [Refs]; ἀβληχρὸς μ. τοῖος quite gentle, [Refs]; σαρδάνιον μ. τοῖον a quite sardonic smile,[Refs]; ἐμέο πρότερος μ. actually before me, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; later, μ. φιλόσοφοι, πλάτανος μάλ᾽ ἀμφιλαφής, etc., [Refs 5th c.BC+] very old, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

1. b with Advs., πάγχυ μ., μ. πάγχυ, quite utterly, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; εὖ μ. right well, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; μάλ᾽ αὐτίκα (see. αὐτίκα); μάλ᾽ αἰεί for ever and aye, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἄχρι μ. κνέφαος until quite dark, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; μάλ᾽ ὧδε just in this way, [Refs]; μ. διαμπερές right through, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; μ. μόλις (see. μόλις); to express repeated action, μάλ᾽ αὖθις [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μ. alone, ἔα, ἔα μ. [Refs 8th c.BC+]

1. c with Verbs, μήτ᾽ ἄρ με μάλ᾽ αἴνεε [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἡ δὲ μάλ᾽ ἡνιόχευεν drove carefully, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; μ... προπέμπει in earnest, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

2. strengthening an assertion, νῦν σε μ. χρὴ αἰχμητὴν ἔμεναι, i.e. now or never, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; τῷ κε μάλ᾽ ἤ κεν μεῖνε.. then doubtless he would have stayed, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; σοὶ δὲ μάλ᾽ ἕψομ᾽ ἐγώ yes indeed.., [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἀλλὰ μάλ᾽ ὤφελλες why plainly.., [Refs 8th c.BC+].. now in very truth, [Refs 8th c.BC+]

3. in [Refs 8th c.BC+] if wrath come on him ever so much, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; also μ. περ with participle, μ. περ μεμαώς though desiring never so much, [Refs]; καὶ μ. περ [Refs 8th c.BC+]

4. in Attic dialect frequently in answers, yes, certainly, μ. γε [Refs 5th c.BC+]; καὶ μ. ἐπαύσατο certainly it stopped, [Refs]

II. comparative μᾶλλον [ᾱ by nature, Hdn.Gr.[Refs]μάλιον [ᾰ] only in [Refs 7th c.BC+]; late Doric dialect μαλλότερον [Refs 5th c.AD+]:—more, rather, [Refs 8th c.BC+] more than is expedient, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; παντὸς μ. most assuredly, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: denoting a constant increase, more and more, sometimes doubled, μ. μ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]: in positive sense, exceedingly, κηρόθι μ. [Refs 8th c.BC+] —Usage:

II.1. frequently strengthened by other words, πολὺ μ. [NT+8th c.BC+] somewhat more, μ. τι περιημέκτεε [Refs 5th c.BC+]

II.2. sometimes with a second comparative, ῥηΐτεροι μ. [Refs 8th c.BC+]

II.3. μᾶλλον δέ much more.., or rather.., to correct a statement already made, ὁ δεσπότης πέπραγεν εὐτυχέστατα, μ. δ᾽ ὁ Πλοῦτος αὐτός [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὐχὶ μ. ἤ.. not so, but rather so.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]

II.4. μ. δὲ καὶ ἡσυχαίτερα more or less violent, [Refs]

II.5. οὐδὲν μ. none the more,[Refs 5th c.BC+]; μηδέν τι μ. ἤ.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]

II.6. μ. ἤ.. followed by οὐ in comparisons, where preference implies rejection or denial, πόλιν ὅλην διαφθεῖραι μᾶλλον ἤ οὐ τοὺς αἰτίους [Refs 5th c.BC+]: preceded by another negative, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

II.7. τὸ μ. καὶ ἧττον, a form of argument, a fortiori, [Refs 4th c.BC+]

II.8. παντὸς μ., see at {πᾶς} [Refs]

III. superlative μάλιστα most of all, above all, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; μ. μὲν.., ἔπειτα or ἔπειτα δέ.., first and above all.., next.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μ. μὲν.., δεύτερον δὲ.. [Refs 4th c.BC+]; μ. μὲν.., εἰ δὲ μὴ.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μάλιστα μὲν.., μᾶλλον μέντοι.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μάλιστα.., εἰ μὴ δ᾽.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; δοκέων μιν μ. ταύτης ἂν πείθεσθαι certainly, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τί μ.; what precisely? [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ μ. πάντων the supreme reality, [Refs 3rd c.AD+]; τὸ μ. εἶναι the highest degree of being, [Refs]

III.1. strengthened, ὡς μ. certainly, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

III.2. with the Article, ἐς τὰ μ. in the highest degree, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἰ τὰ μ. ἦσαν ἀληθεῖς if they were ever so true, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; εἰ τὰ μ. μὴ τινές, ἀλλὰ πάντες.. if (to put an extreme case) not some, but all.., [Refs]; ἀνὴρ δόκιμος ὁμοῖα τῷ μ. as famous as he that is most [famous], [Refs 5th c.BC+]

III.2. b ἐν τοῖς μ. especially, as much as any, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with a superlative, ἐν τοῖς μ. ὠμότατος [Refs 2nd c.AD+]

III.3. added to a superlative (see. μάλα [Refs 8th c.BC+]

III.4. μάλιστα for μᾶλλον, μ. τῆς κόρης [Refs 5th c.BC+]

III.5. with numerals, in round numbers, about, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πεντήκοντα μάλιστα[Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐς μέσον μάλιστά κῃ about the middle, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μ. σφᾶς μεσοῦν δειπνοῦντας that they were about the middle of supper, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

III.6. in answers, most certainly, [Refs 5th c.BC+]. (Orig. perhaps fiercely, compare μαλερός.)