małpa

See also: malpa and małpą

Polish

Etymology

Usually derived from German Maulaffe (“gaping fool, gaper”), from Maul (“mouth”) + Affe (“ape, monkey”).^[1] However, the German word is attested no earlier than the Polish (both 15th century), it never actually means “ape”, and it poses various phonetic difficulties. The Wörterbuch der deutschen Lehnwörter therefore casts doubt on the derivation,^[2] though alternative theories are lacking.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmaw.pa/
Audio: (file)
Rhymes: -awpa
Syllabification: mał‧pa

Noun

małpa f (diminutive małpka, related adjective małpi)

monkey, ape (primate)
at sign
(derogatory, ethnic slur) monkey (black person; a person of African ancestry)
(colloquial, derogatory) witch, hag, harridan

Declension

Declension of małpa

	singular	plural
nominative	małpa	małpy
genitive	małpy	małp
dative	małpie	małpom
accusative	małpę	małpy
instrumental	małpą	małpami
locative	małpie	małpach
vocative	małpo	małpy

Derived terms

adjectives

małpowaty

nouns

verbs

małpować impf

Descendants

→ Old Ruthenian: ма́лпа (málpa)
- Belarusian: ма́лпа (málpa); ма́ўпа (máŭpa), на́ўпа (náŭpa) (dialectal)
- Carpathian Rusyn: ма́лфа f (málfa)
  - ⇒ Carpathian Rusyn: малфу́н m (malfún, “male monkey”)
  - ⇒ Carpathian Rusyn: малфеня́ n (malfenjá, “baby monkey”)
- Ukrainian: ма́впа (mávpa), ма́лпа (málpa); ма́лфа (málfa), мо́лфа (mólfa), на́впа (návpa), на́лпа (nálpa), на́лфа (nálfa) (dialectal)
  - ⇒ Ukrainian: мавпі́й m (mavpíj, “male monkey”)
  - ⇒ Ukrainian: мавпеня́ n (mavpenjá, “baby monkey”)
→ Yiddish: מאַלפּע (malpe)

References

^ Boryś, Wiesław (2005) “małpa”, in Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego (in Polish), Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, →ISBN, page 312
^ Małpa in: A. de Vincenz & G. Hentschel: Wörterbuch der deutschen Lehnwörter in der polnischen Schrift- und Standardsprache, Göttingen/Oldenburg, 1981-2010.