From Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s (“big, great”) + *-ilaz. The suffix may have been added due to analogy with *lītilaz/*lūtilaz (“little”), but it also might be old: compare Proto-Celtic *maglos and Ancient Greek μεγᾰ́λος (megálos).
*mikilaz (comparative *maizô, superlative *maistaz)
Strong declension | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |||
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
Nominative | *mikilaz | *mikilai | *mikilō | *mikilôz | *mikilą, -atō | *mikilō |
Accusative | *mikilanǭ | *mikilanz | *mikilǭ | *mikilōz | *mikilą, -atō | *mikilō |
Genitive | *mikilas, -is | *mikilaizǫ̂ | *mikilaizōz | *mikilaizǫ̂ | *mikilas, -is | *mikilaizǫ̂ |
Dative | *mikilammai | *mikilaimaz | *mikilaizōi | *mikilaimaz | *mikilammai | *mikilaimaz |
Instrumental | *mikilanō | *mikilaimiz | *mikilaizō | *mikilaimiz | *mikilanō | *mikilaimiz |
Weak declension | ||||||
Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |||
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
Nominative | *mikilô | *mikilaniz | *mikilǭ | *mikilōniz | *mikilô | *mikilōnō |
Accusative | *mikilanų | *mikilanunz | *mikilōnų | *mikilōnunz | *mikilô | *mikilōnō |
Genitive | *mikiliniz | *mikilanǫ̂ | *mikilōniz | *mikilōnǫ̂ | *mikiliniz | *mikilanǫ̂ |
Dative | *mikilini | *mikilammaz | *mikilōni | *mikilōmaz | *mikilini | *mikilammaz |
Instrumental | *mikilinē | *mikilammiz | *mikilōnē | *mikilōmiz | *mikilinē | *mikilammiz |