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.

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". However, Derksen considers the Lithuanian to derive from a different root, rendering Kroonen's theory more uncertain.

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɑ.kɑz/

*makaz

1. fit, suitable, agreeable, comfortable

• 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