Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/makaz

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

Of uncertain origin; there exist numerous formations across Indo-European branches with similar semantics and phonetics involving a bilabial nasal *m initial and a velar or palatovelar *k, *g, *ḱ, *ǵ final in the root, albeit with subtle phonetic issues that are difficult to reconcile.

Kroonen tentatively derives the adjective from a Proto-Indo-European *meg- (“to be comfortable, pleasant”), and connects Old Irish mám (“yoke”) (< *mag-mo-), Lithuanian mė́gti (“to like”) (< *meg-ye-). He rejects other theories, which take the form of the Indo-European root as *meh₂ǵ-, *meh₂ḱ- (“to knead”) and connect Ancient Greek μάσσω (mássō, “to handle, knead”) (see there for more), instead postulating that the original sense was more likely "to match, put together" rather than "to knead".^[1] However, Derksen considers the Lithuanian to derive from a different root, rendering Kroonen's theory more uncertain.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmɑ.kɑz/

Adjective

*makaz

fit, suitable, agreeable, comfortable

Inflection

Declension of *makaz (a-stem)
Strong declension
	singular			plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*makaz	*makō	*maką, -atō	*makai	*makôz	*makō
accusative	*makanǭ	*makǭ	*maką, -atō	*makanz	*makōz	*makō
genitive	*makas, -is	*makaizōz	*makas, -is	*makaizǫ̂	*makaizǫ̂	*makaizǫ̂
dative	*makammai	*makaizōi	*makammai	*makaimaz	*makaimaz	*makaimaz
instrumental	*makanō	*makaizō	*makanō	*makaimiz	*makaimiz	*makaimiz

Weak declension
	singular			plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*makô	*makǭ	*makô	*makaniz	*makōniz	*makōnō
accusative	*makanų	*makōnų	*makô	*makanunz	*makōnunz	*makōnō
genitive	*makiniz	*makōniz	*makiniz	*makanǫ̂	*makōnǫ̂	*makanǫ̂
dative	*makini	*makōni	*makini	*makammaz	*makōmaz	*makammaz
instrumental	*makinē	*makōnē	*makinē	*makammiz	*makōmiz	*makammiz

Descendants

Proto-West Germanic: *mak
- Old English: mæc
  - Middle English: make
  - ⇒ Old English: macalīċ
    - Middle English: makli
      - English: mackly
      - Scots: makly
- Old Frisian: *mek
  - North Frisian: määk, meek
  - Saterland Frisian: mäk
- Old Saxon: *mak
  - Middle Low German: mak
    - German Low German: mack, maak
- Old Dutch: *mak
  - Middle Dutch: mack
    - Dutch: mak
      - → West Frisian: mak
    - ⇒ Middle Dutch: mackelijc
      - Dutch: makkelijk
Old Norse: makr
- Icelandic: makur
- Faroese: makur
- Norwegian: mak
- ⇒ Old Norse: makligr
  - Icelandic: maklegur
  - Faroese: makligur
  - Norwegian Nynorsk: makeleg, makleg
  - Norwegian Bokmål: makelig

References

^ Kroonen, Guus (2013) “*maka-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11)‎^[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 350

[1] Kroonen, Guus (2013) “*maka-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11)‎^[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 350

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