Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/mašk-

This Proto-Semitic 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-Semitic

Etymology

From Proto-Afroasiatic *masak-. Compare Egyptian mskꜣ (“skin, hide, leather”) and Central Atlas Tamazight ⴰⴽⵙⵓⵎ (aksum, “skin, hide”).

Noun

*mašk- m

1. skin

Inflection

Declension of *mašk-

Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*maškum	*maškāna	plural stem + *-ūna
Genitive	*maškim	*maškayna	plural stem + *-īna
Accusative	*maškam
possessive forms
1st person	*maškī / *maškVya	—	*maškVni
2nd person m	*maškVka	*maškVkumā / *maškVkumay	*maškVkum(ū)
2nd person f	*maškVki		*maškVkin(ā)
3rd person m	*maškVšu	*maškVšumā / *maškVšumay	*maškVšum(ū)
3rd person f	*maškVša		*maškVšin(ā)
Note: the endings -m and -na are dropped in the bound form, which may also undergo syncopation of an unstressed final vowel where possible. Note: the ending -V before the possessive endings responds to case: *maškuya for nom. case, *maškiya for gen. case, *maškaya for acc. case, etc. Declension of 2sg m. possessive form (your/thy m.) *mašk- Singular Dual Plural Nominative *maškuka *maškāka plural stem + *-ūka Genitive *maškika *maškayka plural stem + *-īka Accusative *maškaka Declension of 2sg f. possessive form (your/thy f.) *mašk- Singular Dual Plural Nominative *maškuki *maškāki plural stem + *-ūki Genitive *maškiki *maškayki plural stem + *-īki Accusative *maškaki

Descendants

• East Semitic:
  • Akkadian: 𒋢 (maškum, “skin, leather”)
• West Semitic:
  • Central Semitic:
    • Arabic: مَسْك (mask, “recently cut hide of a lamb or a kid”)
    • Northwest Semitic:
      • Aramaic:

        Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: מַשְׁכָּא (maškā, “skin, leather”), absolute state מְשַׁךְ (mšaḵ)

        Jewish Palestinian Aramaic: משך (mšk, “hide, skin, leather”)

        Imperial Aramaic: 𐡌𐡔𐡊 (mšk, “skin, hide”)

        Palmyrene: 𐡬𐡵𐡪 (mšk, “skin, hide”)

        • Classical Mandaic: ࡌࡉࡔࡊࡀ (miška, “skin”), (sporadically) ࡌࡀࡔࡊࡀ (maška)
        • Modern Aramaic: ܡܫܟܐ (meškā, “skin”), ܡܫܟܐ (miška, “skin”)
        • Classical Syriac: ܡܶܫܟܴ݁ܐ (meškā, “skin, hide; leather; peel; tribute”)
        • → Ancient Greek: μέσκος (méskos, “skin, fleece”) (or from another descendant)
        • → Old Armenian: մաշկ (mašk, “skin, hide”)
          • Armenian: մաշկ (mašk)
          • → Cappadocian Greek: μάσκι (máski)
          • → Old Georgian: მაშკი (mašḳi)
          • → Romani: maski
        • → Old Persian: 𐎶𐏁𐎣𐎠 (m-š-k-a /⁠maškā-⁠/, “(inflated) skin”) (or from another descendant)
          • Middle Persian: [script needed] (mšk' /⁠mašk⁠/, “mussuck, skin bag”)
            • Persian: مشک (mašk)
              • → Chagatai: مشك (mešk), مشیك (mešik)
              • → Hindustani:

                Hindi: मशक (maśak)

                Urdu: مشک (maśak)

                • → English: mussuck
              • → Ottoman Turkish: مشك (meşk)
      • Canaanite:
        • Hebrew: מֶשֶׁךְ (méshekh, méšeḵ, “leather pouch”) (with a meaning shift)

References

• Tower of Babel
• “mšk”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• Shooshtary, Dakhil (2012) “Skin”, in Mandaic Dictionary: English Mandaic, Bloomington: AuthorHouse, →ISBN, page 239
• Militarev, Alexander, Kogan, Leonid (2000) Semitic Etymological Dictionary, volumes I: Anatomy of Man and Animals, Münster: Ugarit-Verlag, →ISBN, No. 190
• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1977) “մաշկ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume III, Yerevan: University Press, page 260
• Hübschmann, Heinrich (1897) Armenische Grammatik. 1. Theil: Armenische Etymologie (in German), Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, page 311