The Meaning and Origin of the Phrase “Malding”
Twitch and the livestreaming community have introduced countless new words into the language of viewers and creators. The community’s emote system and lingo have led to unique words becoming popular and spreading beyond the platform.
What does “malding” mean and where does it come from?
Malding is a combination of the words “mad” and “balding,” and it refers to someone being so mad that they seem to be balding. Unlike other informal words, “malding” does not have its own emote, but it has been incorporated into many streamer-specific emotes since its popularity grew.
The term “malding” was first used in Twitch streamer Forsen’s chat. Viewers would commonly type “so mad, so bad” and “so bald, so mad” while he played Hearthstone, which eventually combined into the word “mald.” The term has since spread to countless Twitch streamers’ communities. In June 2019, YouTuber Jkhan released a video called “The Malding of Twitch,” which showcased popular male streamers appearing balding.
Although “malding” has been around Twitch for a while, it continues to appear in reference by content creators and has been adopted by many streamers, esports players, and organizations. It has reached a wider audience than initially anticipated.