אֲמַתְלָא

אֲמַתְלָא(Y. מַתְלָא) m. (cmp. h. משל) something tangible (= דבר שיש בו ממש); plausible reason for correcting or retracting an evidence. Keth.22a אם נתנה א׳וכ׳ if she offers a reasonable explanation of her contradictory statements, her second one is accepted. Gitt. IX, 9 ובלבד שלא יהא שם א׳ provided no reasonable explanation is offered to show how the report may have arisen by mistake; a. fr. V. מַתְלָא.