Reconstruction:Proto-Uralic/mëxe

This Proto-Uralic 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-Uralic

Etymology

An etymology that has not received wide acceptance is put forth by Koivulehto (2009) that the word is possibly an old loanword from an Indo-Iranian language, from Proto-Indo-European *meǵh₂s (“big, great”) (presumably in the sense of “greatness, expanse”)^[1] (compare specifically Sanskrit मही (mahī́, “earth”), Proto-Celtic *magos (“plain, field”)). This etymology is rejected by Holopainen (2019).^[2]

Noun

*mëxe

earth, land
Synonym: *muďa

Descendants

Samoyedic:
- Nganasan: моу (mou)
- Selkup:
  - Northern Selkup: -мо (-mo) in минырмо̄ (minyrmō)
  - Southern Selkup:
    - Narym: -мо (-mo) in ӱ̄дэрмо (ǖdermo)
    - Upper Ob: -ма (-ma) in карама (karama)
Ugric:
- ? Khanty: *meɣ
  - Eastern Khanty: мәг (məg)
  - Northern Khanty: мўв (mŭw), мув (muw)
- Mansi: *mëë
  - Northern Mansi: ма̄ (mā)
  - Southern Mansi: [script needed] (mɛ̮̄)
  - Eastern Mansi: мы (my)
Proto-Permic: *mu (see there for further descendants)
Mari:
- ⇒ Eastern Mari: мла́нде (mlánde), мӱнӧ (münö, “down, below”)
- ⇒ Western Mari: мӱланды (mülandy)
Proto-Mordvinic: *ma-, *-ma(s) (“land”)
- Erzya: ма- (ma-) in мастор (mastor)
- Moksha: ма- (ma-) in мастор (mastor)
Proto-Finnic: *maa (see there for further descendants)

References

Häkkinen, Kaisa (2004) Nykysuomen etymologinen sanakirja [Modern Finnish Etymological Dictionary] (in Finnish), Juva: WSOY, →ISBN
Itkonen, Erkki, Kulonen, Ulla-Maija, editors (1992–2000), Suomen sanojen alkuperä [The Origin of Finnish Words]‎^[2] (in Finnish) (online version; note: also includes other etymological sources; this source is labeled "SSA 1992–2000"), Helsinki: Institute for the Languages of Finland/Finnish Literature Society, →ISBN

^ Koivulehto, Jorma. 2009. "Etymologisesti hämäriä -(is)tA-johdosverbejä, lainoja ja omapohjaisia". Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Seuran Aikakauskirja 92, pp. 79–102.
^ Holopainen, Sampsa. 2019. Indo-Iranian borrowings in Uralic : Critical overview of sound substitutions and distribution criterion. [1]. pp. 138–139.

External links

Entry #518 in Uralonet, online Uralic etymological database of the Hungarian Research Centre for Linguistics.

[1] Koivulehto, Jorma. 2009. "Etymologisesti hämäriä -(is)tA-johdosverbejä, lainoja ja omapohjaisia". Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Seuran Aikakauskirja 92, pp. 79–102.

[2] Holopainen, Sampsa. 2019. Indo-Iranian borrowings in Uralic : Critical overview of sound substitutions and distribution criterion. [1]. pp. 138–139.

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