f17r

[geoffreycaveney]

It cannot be a misshapen "o" (mollier) unless it is a significant mistake. It has a very clear serif. The letter "u" or "a" often had a serif, but never "o". The letter "u" would be strange also, since it would not be covered on the top. So, a proposal of "u" or "o" would have to be a spelling mistake rather than a misshapen letter.

Fair enough. Thank you for clearing up that point.

Perhaps it is some kind of obscure pun or play on words? Like someone's name was "Mal..." something, and the writer deliberately transformed "mulier"/"molier" into "mallier" as a pun? 

Or...aha...perhaps it is a play on words to mean "bad woman"/"evil woman"/"ill woman" in a Romance language: 

Instead of writing "mullier mal" or "mal de mullier", write the words together as "mallier" as a play on words.