Georg Autenrieth, A Homeric Dictionary

μάλα , comp. μᾶλλον, sup. μάλιστα: (1) positive, μάλα, very, quite, right, modifying adjectives and other adverbs, and sometimes placed after its word, ἦρι μάλ̓, Il. 9.360; occasionally with substantives, μάλα χρεώ, Ι 197, Od. 18.370; also with verbs (μάλα πολεμίζειν, ‘with might and main’), and esp. to strengthen an assertion as a whole, certainly, verily, Il. 3.204. μάλα admits of much variety in translating in connection with its several usages.—(2) comp., μᾶλλον, more, all the more, Od. 5.284; ‘more willingly,’ ‘more gladly,’ Il. 5.231, Od. 1.351.—(3) sup., μάλιστα, most, especially, far, by far, with adjectives forming a superlative, Il. 6.433; and even with superlatives themselves, Il. 2.57 f., Il. 24.334.