Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/maisǭ

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

Unknown; compared to Proto-Celtic *mesal-(s)kā (“blackbird”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂mes-l- (Latin merula). Or, possibly related to Norwegian Nynorsk meis (“weak”) and Flemish mijzen (“shatter”), possibly related to Proto-Germanic *maisa- (“small”), or possibly related to Dutch miezerig (“small, measly”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmɑi̯.sɔ̃ː/

Noun

*maisǭ f

titmouse, chickadee

Inflection

Declension of *maisǭ (ōn-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*maisǭ	*maisōniz
vocative	*maisǭ	*maisōniz
accusative	*maisōnų	*maisōnunz
genitive	*maisōniz	*maisōnǫ̂
dative	*maisōni	*maisōmaz
instrumental	*maisōnē	*maisōmiz

Derived terms

*maisingō
- Proto-West Germanic: *maisingu
  - Old Dutch: *mēsinga
    - Middle Dutch: mēsink
      - Dutch: mezing
- Old Norse: meisingr
- → Medieval Latin: misinga, mesenga, masance, *mesengra [10th c.] (possibly < Old Norse meisingr)
  - Old French: mesenge, masenge, mesange, masange
    - Middle French: mesange, mésange
      - French: mésange
    - Picard: masaingue, (Rouchi) masínque
    - Walloon: masenge
    (12th c.)
  - Old Occitan: mesenga
    - Catalan: mallerenga
    - Occitan: mesenga
  - Galician: meixengra

Descendants

Proto-West Germanic: *maisā
- Old English: māse
  - Middle English: mose
    - ⇒ Middle English: titmose
      - English: titmouse
- Old Frisian: *māse, *mēse
  - ⇒ Old Frisian: *mēske (diminutive)
    - Saterland Frisian: Meeske
    - West Frisian: mieske
- Old Saxon: mēsa
  - Middle Low German: mêse, meise
    - Dutch Low Saxon: meesje
    - German Low German: Meesch
      Altmärkisch, Low Prussian: Mêsk
      Dortmunisch: Mêəseken
      Low Prussian: Mêske, Möske, Mösk
      Westphalian:
      Bentheimisch: Mêse
      East Westphalian (Lippisch), Westmünsterländisch: Meese
      East Westphalian (Wedemarkisch): Meise
    - → Norwegian: meis
    - → Swedish: mes
    - → Danish: mejse^[1]
- Old Dutch: *mēsa
  - Middle Dutch: mêse
    - Dutch: mees
- Old High German: meisa
  - Middle High German: meise
    - Bavarian: Meisn
    - German: Meise
    - Luxembourgish: Mees

References

Etymologie Bank - "mees"

^ Torp, Alf (1919) “Meis”, in Nynorsk Etymologisk Ordbok, Oslo: H. Aschehoug and Co. (W. Nygaard), page 419

[1] Torp, Alf (1919) “Meis”, in Nynorsk Etymologisk Ordbok, Oslo: H. Aschehoug and Co. (W. Nygaard), page 419

[1]