- malign (adj.)
- early 14c., from O.Fr. malign "having an evil nature," from L. malignus "wicked, bad-natured," from male "badly" + -gnus "born," from gignere "to bear, beget," from PIE base *gn- "to bear" (see genus).
- malign (v.)
- "to slander," 1640s, from earlier more literal sense of "to plot, to contrive" (early 15c.), from O.Fr. malignier, from L. malignare "to do maliciously," from malignus (see malign (adj.)).