Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/maþô

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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

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Etymology

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From Proto-Indo-European *mat-ḗn ~ *mat-nés, from *mat- (insect, worm, maggot), possibly borrowed from a substrate language. Compare Proto-Slavic *motyľь (butterfly), Sanskrit मत्कुण (matkuṇa, bug). Possibly also related to Proto-Finnic *mato (worm) (akin to Proto-Samic *muocē), in which case it would be a borrowing in either direction (although seeing as the Finnic term has a convincing Indo-Iranian etymology, a borrowing from Finnic into Germanic appears more likely).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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*maþô m[1]

  1. maggot, worm
    Synonym: *wurmiz
  2. moth

Inflection

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Kroonen states that this term is an amphikinetically inflecting an-stem with Kluge's Law consonant alternations.

masculine an-stemDeclension of *maþô (masculine an-stem)
singular plural
nominative *maþô *maþaniz
vocative *maþô *maþaniz
accusative *maþanų *muttunz
genitive *muttaz *muttǫ̂
dative *madini *madummaz
instrumental *muttē *madummiz

Derived terms

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Descendants

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References

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  1. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2011) The Proto-Germanic n-stems: A study in diachronic morphophonology, Amsterdam, New York: Rodopi, →ISBN, pages 218-219