Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/mēkijaz

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 unclear origin.

"To cut" hypotheses reconstruct Proto-Indo-European *mēǵeyos (“cutter, sword”), from some root as *(s)meh₂- (“to beckon”) (> *meh₂y- > *meyh₂ > *mē(h₂)- > *mēǵ-), *(s)meh₁- (“to cut”), *(s)mēy(H)- (“to cut, hew”) and such. However, none of these are standard sound changes in the development of Proto-Germanic, and as such cannot be taken seriously as historical developments in the history of this word; contravention of the standard pillar of historical linguistics — the exceptionlessness of sound change — should only be done as a last resort.

Orel prefers taking the Germanic as a borrowing from some North Caucasian language, as represented by Proto-Northeast Caucasian *miqᶜV (“chisel, hoe, knife”), whence Avar *maqᶜala.[1] See the potentially-related Proto-Slavic *mèčь (“sword”) for more theories.

Some reconstruct *mēǵ/g-yos and connect it with Proto-Germanic *mekaną (“to support”) as "secondary functional o-grade".[²]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈmɛː.ki.jɑz/

Noun

*mēkijaz m[1]

  1. sword
    Synonyms: *heruz, *swerdą, *wibraz

Inflection

Declension of *mēkijaz (masculine ja-stem)
singular plural
nominative *mēkijaz *mēkijōz, *mēkijōs
vocative *mēkī *mēkijōz, *mēkijōs
accusative *mēkiją *mēkijanz
genitive *mēkijas, *mēkīs *mēkijǫ̂
dative *mēkijai *mēkijamaz
instrumental *mēkijō *mēkijamiz

Descendants

  • Proto-West Germanic: *mākī
    • Old English: mǣċe, mēċe
      • Middle English: meche, mache, mæche
    • Old Saxon: māki
  • Proto-Norse: ᛗᚨᚲᛁᛃᚨ (makija /⁠mākija⁠/, accusative singular) [210–260 AD]
  • Gothic: 𐌼𐌴𐌺𐌴𐌹𐍃 (mēkeis)
  • Crimean Gothic: mycha
  • → Proto-Finnic: *mëëkka (see there for further descendants)
  • → Proto-Slavic: *mьčь, *mečь

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Vladimir Orel (2003), “*mēkjaz ~ mēkjōn”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology‎[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 269
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