# Ante re malaka



## csicska

Hello. I have a question. What does "ante re malaka" mean? Does it mean "Hello buddy" or "You fuc*er!"? Thank you very much.


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## Perseas

If you are angry, the meaning is closer to the second, but certainly there is no "hello" in it.


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## Andrious

It depends on how you say it, so it may get a little bit confusing in written language. As Perseas, said, if you are angry, it means something like "You fuc*er!". But, to understand all its possible meanings, you must know the use of άντε, ρε and μαλάκας. Take a look here as well.


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## ireney

Yes, it could be "you fuc*er", it could be an expression of surprise and disbelief like "no way man!", it could be a dismissive way of telling someone to stop doing or saying something ("oh go away dude", or "will you stop it man?"), a way to tell someone to hurry up, all sorts of things.


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## csicska

Thank you Perseas, Andrious and ireney.

And is there any chance that it would mean something like "buddy"? I heard it as a greeting.


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## Perseas

Yes, but you don't need to say the three words; just the third ("malaka") is enough. But be careful using that word: one might feel insulted if he does not feel being your buddy. "Άντε" is an interjection, which can mean different things: exhortation, surprise, mistrust, irony.


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## Αγγελος

In the Gospels, Jesus is quoted as saying "Whoever says to his brother ρακά will be guilty before the Sanhedrin, and whoever says to his brother μωρέ will be guilty unto the fiery Gehenna." ρακά was evidently a common Aramaic insult, possibly meaning "empty-headed"; μωρέ is Greek and meant "you fool" (whence the English word 'moron'), and was evidently felt as stronger than ρακά. The adjective μωρός is now archaic, but the neuter μωρό has survived to this day and is the usual word for a 'baby'. The masculine and feminine vocative forms have also survived, with a surprising difference: the feminine μωρή is still (usually) perceived as insulting, expressing a degree of contempt that can range from "you silly girl" to "you slut", while the masculine μωρέ has lost _all _insulting connotation and is just a form of address between equals. 
The word μαλάκας is manifestly following the same path. Fifty years ago it was _only_ an insult (literally meaning 'masturbator', but more frequently used to mean "silly fool, stupid jerk"); for the last 25 years, it has been in use among young men, usually preceded by ρε, just to mean 'buddy', as in "έλα, ρε μαλάκα, πάμε να φύγουμε" = "come on, buddy, let's go". Foreigners would do best to avoid using it except as an insult.


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## csicska

Thank you very much Perseas and Αγγελος.


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