Reconstruction:Proto-Turkic/mak

This Proto-Turkic 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.

This reconstruction relies on rather thin evidence: the Old Turkic word occurs only once in the entire known corpus, and its correct reading remains problematic, as does the cognate in Karakhanid. An alternative view holds that the descendants in the contemporary Siberian languages are back-formations from *makta-, which, in turn, is a Mongolic loan according to this view. For the latter speaks the fact that /*m-/ is a rare, possibly even a completely absent onset in Proto-Turkic.

Radloff posited a derivation of *makta- from *mak-la-, through manner-assimilation of /-l/ by /-k/. Sanžejev held that most derivations are indeed from Mongolic *maɣta, but that it is itself from Turkic *mak as attested in Old Turkic The descendants section below treats the Mongolic forms as Turkic borrowings, but bear in mind that there could be three alternatives:

• Turkic *mak → Turkic *makta → Mongolic *maɣta (as per Radloff, reflected in the descendants section)
• Turkic *mak → Mongolic *maɣta → Turkic *makta (as per Sanžejev)
• Mongolic *maɣta → Turkic *makta → Turkic *mak (back-formation hypothesis)

*mak

1. praise

• *makta-

• ⇒ Proto-Turkic: *makta-
  • →? Proto-Mongolic: *maɣta
    • Classical Mongolian: ᠮᠠᠭᠲᠠᠬᠤ (maɣtaqu)
    • Mongolian: магтах (magtax)
    • → Manchu: (maktandumbi)
    • → Nanai: мактаори (maktaori, “to praise”)
  • Oghur:
    • Chuvash: мухта (muhta)