The verb ᴱQ. mal- “to crush” and mala- “crush, squeeze” appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s based on the early root ᴱ√MALA¹ (QL/58, 63). Tolkien also had a distinct but related verb ᴱQ. mala- “hurt, pain” from a related root ᴱ√MBALA (QL/58, 63).

Neo-Quenya: In The Etymologies of the 1930s, Tolkien had a root ᴹ√MBAL which was the basis for the word ᴹQ. malle “street”, which in the 1910s was derived from ᴱ√MALA¹ “crush”. On this foundation, I would retain ᴺQ. mal- “to crush, squeeze”. For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would further assume that this verb can also mean “to hurt, pain (cause pain to)” as an extended meaning, usable metaphorically for both physical and emotional hurt; Helge Fauskanger used mal- for “hurt” in his Neo-Quenya New Testament (NQNT).