Reconstruction:Latin/melem

This Latin entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Latin

Etymology

From Classical mel n, with a paragogic /-e/^[1] and change in gender. Compare *corem (“heart”), *felem (“bile”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmɛle/

Noun

*melem m or f (Proto-Romance)

honey

Reconstruction notes

Nominative */ˈmɛles/ > Old French li miels, Old Occitan lo mels.

Declension

	singular	plural
nominative	*/ˈmɛles/	—
accusative	*/ˈmɛle/	—
genitive-dative	*/ˈmɛli/	—

Descendants

Insular Romance: m
- Sardinian: mele, meli (Campidanese)
Balkano-Romance: f
- Aromanian: njari
- Istro-Romanian: mľåre
- Megleno-Romanian: m'ari
- Romanian: miere
Italo-Dalmatian: m
- Corsican: mele
- Dalmatian: mil
- Istriot: mel m
- Italian: miele
- Neapolitan: mele
- Sicilian: meli
- Venetan: mel, miel
Rhaeto-Romance:
- Friulian: mîl f
- Ladin: mil f
- Romansch: mel, mèl (Sursilvan), meal (Sutsilvan), mêl (Surmiran) m
Gallo-Italic:
- Ligurian: mê, amê m or f
- Lombard: mel, mil m or f
- Old Piedmontese: miél, miéu f
  - Piedmontese: mel, me f
Northern Gallo-Romance:
- Old French: miel m
  - French: miel
  - Norman: myi
Southern Gallo-Romance:
- Catalan: mel f
- Occitan: mèl m or f
  - Gascon: mèu m or f
Ibero-Romance:
- Aragonese: miel f
- Asturian: miel m or f
- Old Galician-Portuguese: mel m
  - Galician: mel
  - Portuguese: mel
- Old Spanish: miel, myel f
  - Ladino: miel, myel, מייל m or f
  - Spanish: miel f
    - →? Samoan: meli

References

AIS: Sprach- und Sachatlas Italiens und der Südschweiz [Linguistic and Ethnographic Atlas of Italy and Southern Switzerland] – map 1159: “il miele” – on navigais-web.pd.istc.cnr.it
Buchi, Éva, Schweickard, Wolfgang (2008–) “*/ˈmɛl-e/”, in Dictionnaire Étymologique Roman, Nancy: Analyse et Traitement Informatique de la Langue Française.

^ Lausberg, Heinrich. 1970. Lingüística románica, I: Fonética. Madrid: Gredos. §189.

[1] Lausberg, Heinrich. 1970. Lingüística románica, I: Fonética. Madrid: Gredos. §189.

[1]