Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-mṓ

This Proto-Indo-European 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-Indo-European

Etymology

    Cognates with a different ablaut:

    See also *-h₃onh₂- and *-ō.

    Suffix

    *(e/Ø)-mṓ m

    1. Creates agent nouns from verbs.

    Usage notes

    According to Yates, derivatives with this suffix can be divided into three groups across Indo-European:

    • One group inherited the e-grade roots used with *-mn̥ when used to make secondary derivatives of *-mn̥ nouns.
    • A second group is the primary independent deradical derivatives, attached directly to roots. This group has a zero-grade root, *sh₂imṓ being one example.
    • A third group is the non-primary independent derivatives, attached to some other base word. They generally inherit the root vocalism of the base word.

    Inflection

    As reconstructed by Yates (2022):[1]

    Athematic, hysterokinetic
    singular
    nominative *(e/Ø)-mṓ
    genitive *(e/Ø)-(m)nés
    singular dual plural
    nominative *(e/Ø)-mṓ *(e/Ø)-mónh₁(e) *(e/Ø)-mónes
    vocative *(e/Ø)-món *(e/Ø)-mónh₁(e) *(e/Ø)-mónes
    accusative *(e/Ø)-mónm̥ *(e/Ø)-mónh₁(e) *(e/Ø)-mónm̥s
    genitive *(e/Ø)-(m)nés *? *(e/Ø)-(m)nóHom
    ablative *(e/Ø)-(m)nés *? *(e/Ø)-(m)n̥mós, *(e/Ø)-(m)n̥bʰós
    dative *(e/Ø)-(m)néy *? *(e/Ø)-(m)n̥mós, *(e/Ø)-(m)n̥bʰós
    locative *(e/Ø)-mén, *(e/Ø)-méni *? *(e/Ø)-(m)n̥sú
    instrumental *(e/Ø)-(m)néh₁ *? *(e/Ø)-(m)n̥mís, *(e/Ø)-(m)n̥bʰís

    Yates reconstructs total loss of *-m- in weak cases, but others generally restrict the m-loss:

    • Byrd restricts m-loss to when a heavy syllable (diphthong, long vowel, or consonant following by a vowel) precedes the suffix.[2]
    • Kroonen restricts m-loss to only when the root contains a labial consonant.[3]

    This supersedes the traditionally reconstructed amphikinetic paradigm:

    Athematic, amphikinetic
    singular
    nominative *(é)-mō
    genitive *(Ø)-(m)nés
    singular dual plural
    nominative *(é)-mō *(é)-monh₁(e) *(é)-mones
    vocative *(é)-mon *(é)-monh₁(e) *(é)-mones
    accusative *(é)-monm̥ *(é)-monh₁(e) *(é)-monm̥s
    genitive *(Ø)-(m)nés *? *(Ø)-(m)nóHom
    ablative *(Ø)-(m)nés *? *(Ø)-(m)n̥mós, *(Ø)-(m)n̥bʰós
    dative *(Ø)-(m)néy *? *(Ø)-(m)n̥mós, *(Ø)-(m)n̥bʰós
    locative *(Ø)-mén, *(Ø)-méni *? *(Ø)-(m)n̥sú
    instrumental *(Ø)-(m)néh₁ *? *(Ø)-(m)n̥mís, *(Ø)-(m)n̥bʰís

    Derived terms

    Descendants

    • Proto-Balto-Slavic: *-mō
      • Lithuanian: -muo
      • Proto-Slavic: *-my
    • Proto-Celtic: *-mū
    • Proto-Hellenic: *-mōn
    • Proto-Germanic: *-mô (see there for further descendants)
    • Proto-Indo-Iranian: *-mā́
      • Proto-Indo-Aryan: *-mā́
      • Proto-Iranian: *-mā
        • Avestan: -𐬨𐬀 (-ma), -𐬨𐬀𐬥 (-man)
    • Proto-Italic: *-mō

    References

    1. ^ Yates, Anthony (2022) “A new prosodic reconstruction of Proto-Indo-European *-mon-stems”, in Indo-European Linguistics, volume 10, number 1, →DOI, →ISSN, pages 214–288
    2. ^ Byrd, Andrew Miles (2017–2018) “Chapter XX: Proto-Indo-European”, in Klein, Jared S., Joseph, Brian D., Fritz, Matthias, editors, Handbook of Comparative and Historical Indo-European Linguistics: An International Handbook (Handbücher zur Sprach- und Kommunikationswissenschaft [Handbooks of Linguistics and Communication Science]; 41.2), Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter Mouton, →ISBN, § The phonology of Proto-Indo-European, page 2060
    3. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2011) The Proto-Germanic n-stems: A study in diachronic morphophonology, Amsterdam, New York: Rodopi, →ISBN, page 65