mali

Pluralmalis, Malis

1. 1
   proper noun · Mali

   A country in West Africa, officially called the Republic of Mali.

   The researchers spent a season in Mali studying the old manuscript libraries of Timbuktu.

   Mali's capital, Bamako, sits on the Niger River.

2. 2
   nounIndiaSouth Asiacountable

   A member of a South Asian caste whose traditional work is gardening, or, by extension, any gardener in South Asia.

   The mali at the bungalow had planted marigolds along the drive in time for Diwali.

   The college employs three malis to keep its lawns and flower beds in order.

   Similargardener

   Note

   Indian English took the word from Hindi mālī, gardener, and behind it lies Sanskrit, where it also meant a garland-maker, from mālā, a garland. Nineteenth-century writers spelled it mallee and listed it with dhobies, sweepers and cooks among household staff; E. M. Forster's A Passage to India (1924) already writes mali.

3. 3
   nounSouth Africauncountable

   Money, especially in the form of cash.

   Payday's on Friday, so everyone's waiting for the mali to come in.

   She made good mali selling vetkoek at the taxi rank.

   Similarmoney, cash

   Note

   Its route into South African English runs through Xhosa and Zulu imali, and further back up the continent: Swahili mali means riches or property, from Arabic māl, wealth. Grammatically it behaves like money, with no plural and no a in front: good mali, no mali.

4. 4
   noun · MalidialectalMulticultural London Englishcountable

   A person of Somali birth or descent.

   My mate Abdi's a Mali, and his mum makes the best sambusa in the ends.

   The youth club's got Malis, Nigerians and Jamaicans all on the same five-a-side team.

   SimilarSomali

   Note

   Multiethnic street English in London and Toronto clips Somali to its last two syllables. It belongs to casual talk among friends; in writing, or with people you do not know, Somali is the safer choice.

Showing meanings only. Show all 5