Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/maiz

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

Etymology

Related to *maizô (“more”); see there for cognates.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɑi̯z/

Adverb

*maiz (adjective *maizô, superlative *maist)

1. more, to a greater degree

Usage notes

This word is not directly the comparative of any other term. Instead, various adverbial formations are used to express the positive degree.

Derived terms

Final *-z was regularly lost in monosyllables in the northern West Germanic languages, so that forms without final -r are found in these languages. However, it was generally restored later by analogy with the adjective *maizô, which had retained it.

• Old English: mā, mǣ
  • Middle English: ma, mo
    • English: mo, moe
    • Scots: ma, mae
• Old Frisian: mā, mē, mār, mēr
  • North Frisian: mor
  • Saterland Frisian: moor
  • Old Frisian: mear
• Old Saxon: mēr
  • Middle Low German: mêr
    • German Low German: mehr
• Old Dutch: *mē, mēr
  • Middle Dutch: mee, meer
    • Dutch: meer
    • Limburgish: mie, mier
• Old High German: mē, mēr
  • Middle High German: mē, mēr
    • German: mehr (< mēr)
    • Yiddish: מער (mer) (< mēr)
    • Luxembourgish: méi (< mē)
    • Central Franconian: mieh (< mē)
• Old Norse: meir
  • Icelandic: meir
  • Faroese: meir
  • Norwegian: mer
  • Old Swedish: mēr
    • Swedish: mer
  • Danish: mer
• Gothic: 𐌼𐌰𐌹𐍃 (mais)