Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/mēlą

This Proto-Germanic 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.

Proto-Germanic

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *meHlom; in regards to the further root, Kroonen etymologically sifts out the senses, which appear to have been conflated in descendants, as follows:

  • For the "point in time, meal" sense, from the same origin as either the "measurement" or "spot" senses below.[1]
  • For the "spot, mark" sense, from the root *melh₂- (“dark”), whence also Ancient Greek μέλᾱς (mélās, “dark”), Lithuanian mė́las (“blue”).[2]
  • For the "measurement" sense, from *meh₁- (“to measure”).[3]

Compare also Latin semel (“once”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈmɛː.lɑ̃/

Noun

*mēlą n

  1. time, occasion
  2. point in time, period of time
  3. time for eating, meal
  4. spot, mark
  5. measure, measurement

Inflection

Declension of *mēlą (neuter a-stem)
singular plural
nominative *mēlą *mēlō
vocative *mēlą *mēlō
accusative *mēlą *mēlō
genitive *mēlas, *mēlis *mēlǫ̂
dative *mēlai *mēlamaz
instrumental *mēlō *mēlamiz

Derived terms

Descendants

References

  1. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013) “*mēla- 1 n. 'point in time'”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11)‎[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 362
  2. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013) “*mēla- 2 n. 'spot, mark'”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11)‎[2], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 362
  3. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013) “*mēla- 3 n. 'measure, amount'”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11)‎[3], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 362
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