clay. The Irish sculptor Michael C Keane credits mala with his first brush with sculpting. [ 2 ] Etymology The word 'mala' comes from the Irish 'marlach', meaning clay-like. Notes and references ^ "Mala" . Irish slang dictionary. December 01, 2006 . http://homepage.eircom.net/~nobyrne/m.htm . Retrieved on March 31, 2009 .