matala

matar +‎ la

matala

1. Compound of matar + la

From Proto-Finnic *matala.

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɑtɑlɑ/, [ˈmɑ̝t̪ɑ̝lɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ɑtɑlɑ
• Syllabification^(key): ma‧ta‧la

matala (comparative matalampi, superlative matalin)

1. low (small in height)

   Antonym: korkea

   matala aita ― a low fence

   matala huone ― a low room

   matala pöytä ― a low table

2. low (situated close to, or even below, the ground)

   Synonym: alhainen

   Antonym: korkea

   matala mäki ― a low hill

3. shallow (not extending far down relative to breadth or width)

   Antonym: syvä

   matala järvi ― a shallow lake

4. low (not high in amount or quantity)

   Synonym: alhainen

   Antonym: korkea

   matala lämpötila ― a low temperature

5. (music) low-pitched, low

   Antonym: korkea

   1. (informal) Synonym of alavireinen (“flat”).

matala is used to mean "shallow" as long as there is no risk of confusion with the other meaning "low". This almost always applies in terms of vertical depth, such as when talking about a body of water, a trench, a dish or receptacle, a cut or wound, etc. In case of horizontal depth, such as of a shelf or cabinet, other terms are used; a shallow bookshelf could be described as syvyydeltään kapea or syvyyssuunnassa kapea; terms such as lyhyt (literally “short”) or litteä (literally “flat”) may also be used in some cases.

Now rare:

• “matala”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-03

• Maltaa, laamat, lamaat, lamata, maalta

From French matelas.

• IPA^(key): /mà.tà.lâː/

màtàlâ f (possessed form màtàlân)

1. (Niger) mattress

   Synonym: katifa

From Proto-Finnic *matala. Cognates include Finnish matala and Estonian madal.

• (Ala-Laukaa) IPA^(key): /ˈmɑtɑlɑ/, [ˈmɑtɑɫ]
• (Soikkola) IPA^(key): /ˈmɑtɑːlɑ/, [ˈmɑtˑɑːɫɑ]
• Rhymes: -ɑtɑl, -ɑtɑːlɑ
• Hyphenation: ma‧ta‧la

matala

1. wash (area of shallow water)

matala (comparative matalamp)

1. shallow
   • 1937, N. S. Popova, translated by A. Kolesova, Arifmetikan oppikirja alkușkoulua vart (I. osa), Leningrad: Ucebno-Pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 15:

     Lavvaal (kanneel) pantii 6 syvvää tarelkaa i 2 matalaa.

     On the table (table) there are 6 deep dishes and 2 shallow ones.

2. low, low-lying
   • 1936, V. I. Junus, N. A. Iljin, Inkeroisin keelen oppikirja alkuşkouluja vart (toine osa), Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 61:

     Ennen hailiverkot olivat matalat.

     Before, the herring nets were low-lying.

3. (music) low

• (shallow): matalikko
• (low-lying): notko, alanikko

• (antonym(s) of “shallow”): syvä
• (antonym(s) of “low-lying”): korkia
• (antonym(s) of “music”): korkia

• V. I. Junus (1936) Iƶoran Keelen Grammatikka‎, Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 42
• Ruben E. Nirvi (1971) Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 299

matala

1. second-person singular voseo imperative of matar combined with la