Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/magisVmos

This Proto-Italic 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-Italic

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *meǵh₂ism̥mos, from *méǵh₂s (“big, great”).

Adjective

*magisVmos

superlative degree of *magnos

Declension

Declension of *magisVmos (o/ā-stem)
singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*magisVmos	*magisVmā	*magisVmom
vocative	*magisVme	*magisVma	*magisVmom
accusative	*magisVmom	*magisVmam	*magisVmom
genitive	*magisVmosjo, magisVmī	*magisVmās	*magisVmosjo, magisVmī
dative	*magisVmōi	*magisVmāi	*magisVmōi
ablative	*magisVmōd	*magisVmād	*magisVmōd
locative	*magisVmei	*magisVmāi	*magisVmei

plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	*magisVmōs, magisVmoi	*magisVmās	*magisVmā
vocative	*magisVmōs, magisVmoi	*magisVmās	*magisVmā
accusative	*magisVmons	*magisVmans	*magisVmā
genitive	*magisVmom	*magisVmāzōm	*magisVmom
dative	*magisVmois	*magisVmais	*magisVmois
ablative	*magisVmois	*magisVmais	*magisVmois
locative	*magisVmois	*magisVmais	*magisVmois

Reconstruction notes

It is unclear whether Oscan maimas (< *ma(g)isVmos) belongs here.

The Oscan word is generally derived from *meh₂- (“great”)^[1] by those who think is unrelated, like Untermann and Cowgill.
For those who do think maimas is related to Latin maximus, the following schools of thought exist:
- Nishimura, taking *magisVmos as primary, accounts for the loss of -g- in Oscan via the comparative *magjōs > *majjōs, which would be rebracketed as *maj-jōs. The superlative would then be analogically reshaped to *maj-isVmos, whence Oscan maimas.^[2]
- Prósper flat-out rejects the antiquity of the Latino-Faliscan words, viewing the velar in maximus as secondarily introduced. She derives both Latin maximus and maimas from *maisVmos, from *meh₂- (“great”).^[3]

Descendants

Latino-Faliscan:
- Faliscan: 𐌌𐌀𐌗𐌏𐌌𐌏 (maxomo)
- Latin: maximus
Sabellic:
- >? Oscan: maimas (fem. nom. pl.)

References

^ Untermann, Jürgen (2000) Wörterbuch des Oskisch-Umbrischen [Dictionary of Oscan-Umbrian] (Handbuch der italischen Dialekte; 3), Heidelberg: Winter, →ISBN, pages 442-443
^ Nishimura, Kanehiro (2017) “New Thoughts on Umbrian nuvime and Oscan maimas Syncope and Glide Treatment in Sabellic”, in Incontri Linguistici, number 40, →DOI, pages 93-106
^ Prósper, Blanca María (2018) “The Indo-European Personal Names of Pannonia, Noricum and Northern Italy: Comparative and Superlative Forms in Celtic, Venetic, and South-Picene”, in Voprosy onomastiki, volume 15, number 2, →DOI, pages 108–138

[1] Untermann, Jürgen (2000) Wörterbuch des Oskisch-Umbrischen [Dictionary of Oscan-Umbrian] (Handbuch der italischen Dialekte; 3), Heidelberg: Winter, →ISBN, pages 442-443

[2] Nishimura, Kanehiro (2017) “New Thoughts on Umbrian nuvime and Oscan maimas Syncope and Glide Treatment in Sabellic”, in Incontri Linguistici, number 40, →DOI, pages 93-106

[3] Prósper, Blanca María (2018) “The Indo-European Personal Names of Pannonia, Noricum and Northern Italy: Comparative and Superlative Forms in Celtic, Venetic, and South-Picene”, in Voprosy onomastiki, volume 15, number 2, →DOI, pages 108–138

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