How do you spell maila?

Question

I've looked in the Jewish Languages dictionary and other places but I can't find anyone who gives a Hebrew spelling of the word maila,‎ meaning positive quality,‎ opposite of חסרון.‎ I'm guessing that it is מעלה from the root עלה meaning upwards or high quality,‎ but I can't seem to find it a dictionary.‎

Thanks!

[To the person who deleted this,‎ I hear the point,‎ but this is a question about a spoken word in Yeshiva culture,‎ not about Hebrew generally,‎ so I think it is germane.]

Are you talking about something pronounced ma-ilah or my-lah or something from the aramaic? — sabbahillel, Nov 15 '20 at 17:52

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Nov 15 '20 at 12:15

2

Ah,‎ I think I found it in Klein's

מַעֲלָה f.n. 1 step, stair. 2 ascent. MH 3 grade, degree. NH 4 virtue, merit. [From עלה (= to go up, ascend). For the pref. see מַ◌.]

answered Nov 15 '20 at 12:15

ak0000

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Correct. That's Ashkenazim trying to make up for not pronouncing the 'ayin. (Just as some say "Yaykov.") – Shalom Nov 16 '20 at 13:30

How do you spell maila?

1 Answers1