Online Etymology Dictionary

make-work: "busy-work, activity of no value," 1913 (adj.); 1937 (n.), American English, from the verbal expression to make work (see make (v.) + work (n.)).
A big fire devoured a street; "It will make work," I heard my father say; a ship was lost at sea laden with silk, and leather, and cloth; "It will make work," said my father; a reservoir broke jail, and swept the heart of the town away. "It will make work," my mother said; so all human calamities were softened blessings to me; they made "work," and work made wages, and wages made bread and potatoes, and clothes for me. ["The Radical Review," Chicago, Sept. 15, 1883]
makeless (adj.): early 13c., "peerless, without equal," from make (n.) + -less. Meaning "mateless, widowed" is from early 15c.
makeover (n.): also make-over, by 1981, from phrase make over in sense "to refashion" (1690s); from make + over.
maker (n.): c.1300, "one who makes," also "God as creator," agent noun from make (v.). Specifically, "manufacturer" by late 14c. To meet (one's) maker "die" is attested by 1814.
makeshift: also make-shift, 1560s, as a noun, "shifty person, rogue," from make (v.) + shift (v.). Adjectival sense of "substitute" is first recorded 1680s. Cf. make-sport "a laughing stock" (1610s).
makeweight (n.): also make-weight, 1690s, "small quantity of something added to make the total reach a certain weight," from make (v.) + weight.
MAKE WEIGHT. A small candle: a term applied to a little slender man. ["Dictionary of Buckish Slang, University Wit, and Pickpocket Eloquence," London, 1811]
mako (n.): "large blue shark," listed as 1727 in OED, from "The History of Japan," English translation of Engelbert Kaempfer's German manuscript; however this is claimed by some to be an error, and some say Kaempfer's word represents Japanese makkô(-kujira) "sperm whale." But the description in the text fits neither the shark nor the whale. The word is ultimately from Maori mako "shark, shark's tooth," which is of uncertain etymology. If the 1727 citation is an error, the next OED entry is for 1820, from a book on New Zealand languages.
mal du siecle (n.): French, mal du sìecle, "world-weariness."
mal-: word-forming element meaning "bad, badly, ill, poorly, wrong, wrongly," from French mal (adv.), from Old French mal (adj., adv.) "evil, ill, wrong, wrongly" (9c.), from Latin male (adv.) "badly," or malus (adj.) "bad, evil" (fem. mala, neuter malum), of unknown origin, perhaps related to Avestan mairiia "treacherous." Most Modern English words with this prefix are 19c. coinages.
malabsorption (n.): 1879, from mal- + absorption.
Malachi: masc. proper name, Old Testament name of the last in order of the Twelve Prophets, from Hebrew Mal'akhi, literally "my messenger," from mal'akh "messenger," from Semitic base l-'-k (cf. Arabic la'aka "he sent").
malachite (n.): common green ore of copper, late 14c., from French, ultimately from Greek malachitis (lithos) "mallow (stone)," from malakhe "mallow" (see mallow (n.)); the mineral traditionally so called from resemblance of its color to that of the leaves of the mallow plant.
malacia (n.): from Latin malacia "a calm at sea," from Greek malakia "softness, delicacy, effeminacy," from malakos "soft" (see mallet).
maladaptation (n.): 1829, from mal- + adaptation.
maladaptive (adj.): 1912, from mal- + adaptive (see adapt).
maladjusted (adj.): 1846, from mal- + adjusted (see adjust).
maladjustment (n.): 1823, from mal- + adjustment.
maladministration (n.): also mal-administration, 1640s, from mal- + administration.
maladroit (adj.): 1670s, from mal- + adroit. Related: Maladroitly; maladroitness.
malady (n.): late 13c., from Old French maladie "sickness, illness, disease" (13c.), from malade "ill" (12c.), from Latin male habitus "doing poorly, feeling sick," literally "ill-conditioned," from male "badly" (see mal-) + habitus, past participle of habere "have, hold" (see habit). Related: Maladies.
Malaga (n.): c.1600, white wine exported from the Spanish port of Malaga, founded by the Phoenicians and probably from Phoenician malha "salt."
Malagasy: "pertaining to Madagascar," large island off the coast of Africa, 1835, apparently a native alteration of Madagascar.
malaise (n.): c.1300, maleise "pain, suffering; sorrow, anxiety," also, by late 14c., "disease, sickness," from Old French malaise "difficulty, suffering, hardship," literally "ill-ease," from mal "bad" (see mal-) + aise "ease" (see ease (n.)). The current use is perhaps a mid-18c. reborrowing from Modern French. A Middle English verbal form, malasen "to trouble, distress" (mid-15c.), from Old French malaisier, did not endure.
malamute (n.): also malemute, Eskimo dog, 1874, from name of Alaska Eskimo tribe in northwestern Alaska that developed the breed. The native form is malimiut.
malapert (adj.): "impudent," early 15c., from Old French mal apert, literally "ill-skilled," from mal- "badly" (see mal-) + apert "skillful," variant of espert "experienced, skillful, clever" (from Latin expertus; see expert). Related: Malapertly; malapertness.
malaprop (n.): 1823, from name of theatrical character Mrs. Malaprop (see malapropism). Related: Malapropian.
malapropism (n.): 1826, from Mrs. Malaprop, character in Sheridan's play "The Rivals" (1775), noted for her ridiculous misuse of large words (e.g. "contagious countries" for "contiguous countries"), her name coined from malapropos.
malapropos (adv.): 1660s, from French mal à propos "inopportunely, inappropriately," literally "badly for the purpose," from mal (see mal-) + proposer "propose" (see propose).
malaria (n.): 1740, from Italian mal'aria, from mala aria, literally "bad air," from mala "bad" (fem. of malo, from Latin malus; see mal-) + aria "air" (see air (n.1)). Probably first used by Italian physician Francisco Torti (1658-1741). The disease, now known to be mosquito-borne, once was thought to be caused by foul air in marshy districts. Replaced native ague.
malarial (adj.): 1830, from malaria + -al (1).
malarkey (n.): also malarky, "lies and exaggerations," 1924, American English, of unknown origin. It also is a surname.
malassimilation (n.): also mal-assimilation, 1840, from mal- + assimilation.
malaxation (n.): "softening," 1650s, from Late Latin malaxationem (nominative malaxatio), noun of action from past participle stem of malaxare "to soften, mollify," from Greek malassein "to make soft," related to malakos "soft" (see mallet).
Malay (n.): 1590s, from native name Malayu. As an adjective from 1779; earlier adjective form was Malayan (1660s).
Malayalam: 1837, Dravidian language of Malabar, from Dravidian Malayali, from mala "mountain" + al "possess."
Malaysia: from Malay + Latinate ending -sia. Originally an early 19c. British geographers' name for the Indonesian archipelago. Related: Malaysian.
Malcolm: masc. proper name, from Old Irish Máel Coluim "servant of (St.) Columba," from máel "servant," etymologically "bald, shorn, hornless," from PIE base *mai- "to cut" (see maim).
malcontent: 1580s, noun and adjective, from French malcontent; see mal- + content (adj.). Related: Malcontented; malcontentedly; malcontentedness.
maldistribution (n.): also mal-distribution, 1824, from mal- + distribution.
Maldives: probably from Sanskrit maladvipa "garland of islands," from mala "garland" + dvipa "island." Related: Maldivian.
male (n.): late 14c., "male human being; male fish or land animal," from Old French masle (adj.) "masculine, male, adult," also used as a noun (12c., Modern French mâle), from Latin masculus "masculine, male, worthy of a man" (cf. Provençal mascle, Spanish macho, Italian maschio), diminutive of mas (genitive maris) "male person or animal, male."
male (adj.): late 14c., from Old French male, masle "male, masculine; a male" (see male (n.)). Mechanical sense of "part of an instrument that penetrates another part" is from 1660s.
male chauvinism (n.): 1969; see chauvinism.
male chauvinist (adj.): 1969; see chauvinism.
malediction (n.): mid-15c., from Old French maledicion "a curse" (15c.), from Latin maledictionem (nominative maledictio) "the action of speaking evil of, slander," in Late Latin "a curse," noun of action from past participle stem of maledicere "to speak badly or evil of, slander," from male "badly" (see mal-) + dicere "to say" (see diction).
maledictory (adj.): 1822, from Latin maledictus (from maledicere; see malediction) + -ory.
maleducation (n.): also mal-education, 1840, from mal- + education.
malefaction (n.): early 15c., from Medieval Latin malefactionem (nominative malefactio), noun of action from past participle stem of malefacere (see malefactor).
malefactor (n.): mid-15c., from Latin malefactor, agent noun from past participle stem of malefacere "to do evil," from male "badly" (see mal-) + facere "to perform" (see factitious).
malefic (adj.): 1650s, from Latin maleficus "wicked, vicious, criminal," from male "ill" (see mal-) + -ficus, from stem of facere "to make, do" (see factitious).