Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/-mā

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This Proto-Celtic 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-Celtic

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Etymology

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From Proto-Indo-European *-meh₂. Other apparent appearances of this suffix elsewhere in Indo-European include:[1]

The first verbal noun with this suffix was likely *kreddīmā (belief).

Suffix

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*-mā f

  1. Forms verbal nouns to miscellaneous weak verbs with suffixed *-ī-.

Usage notes

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  • Causative/iterative verbs, despite also being weak verbs in *-ī-, instead generally used *-os to make verbal nouns.
  • This suffix was mildly productive in Goidelic, but in Brittonic it was very productive, ousting almost every other verbal noun formation, even *-tus.

Inflection

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Feminine ā-stem
singular dual plural
nominative *-mā *-mai *-mās
vocative *-mā *-mai *-mās
accusative *-mam *-mai *-māms
genitive *-mās *-mous *-mom
dative *-māi *-mābom *-mābos
locative *-mai *? *?
instrumental *? *-mābim *-mābis

Descendants

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  • Proto-Brythonic: *-iβ̃, *-aβ̃, *-oβ̃, *-ọβ̃ (see there for further descendants)
  • Old Irish: -em, -am (after a broad consonant)

References

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  1. ^ Stüber, Karin (2015) Die Verbalabstrakta des Altirischen (in German), pages 119-120