Where does “mal-” come from?

mal- (Italian) comes from Latin male, from Latin malus, from Ancient Greek μηλέα, from Ancient Greek μῆλον, from Proto-Indo-European (s)meh₁l- — small animal”; small animal.

mal- (Italian): bad; badly

Definitions

bad; badly

Ancestry of “mal-”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Latin	male	badly; wrongly; cruelly, wickedly
2	Latin	malus	unpleasant, distressing, painful, nasty, bad;...
3	Ancient Greek	μηλέα	apple tree
4	Ancient Greek	μῆλον	apple; any fruit from a tree; a woman's breast
5	Proto-Indo-European	(s)meh₁l-	small animal”; small animal

Words derived from “mal-”

malaria
malarial
malarious
antimalarial
antimalaria
malariology
malariologist
nonmalarial
malarian
typhomalarial
nonmalaria
malarially
malarin
postmalarial
malariological
malaria
maltrattare
malaccetto
malaccorto
malaffare
malagevole
malagrazia
malandato
malanimo

Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)meh₁l- →