Reconstruction:Proto-Finnic/mato
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This Proto-Finnic 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-Finnic
Etymology
From Proto-Finno-Permic *mača-w (compare Proto-Samic *muocē (“moth”)), probably borrowed from Proto-Indo-Iranian *mákš ~ *mačás (“midge, fly, bee”)[1]. The semantics are not entirely clear, but Häkkinen (2004) notes that these species have a larval stage,[2] and the larvae resemble worms to some degree. If this theory is true, the word would be from the same origin as *mehiläinen, but a later borrowing.
The Finnic word has also been compared with Proto-Germanic *maþô (“worm, maggot”). Both directions of loaning have been suggested (the Germanic word has no solid Indo-European etymology). If the Finnic word is borrowed from Germanic, it cannot be related to the Samic word, since pre-Finnic *č and Germanic *þ cannot be reconciled.
Yet another theory proposes derivation from *matadak (“to crawl”) + *-o, but the suffix *-o is not otherwise known to form agent nouns.
Inflection
| Note: The Proto-Finnic declension system is yet to be reconstructed in detail. What is presented here is only one possibility. | |||
| singular | plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | *mato | *madot | |
| accusative | *madon | *madot | |
| genitive | *madon | *matodën *matoidën | |
| partitive | *matoda | *matoida | |
| inessive | *madossa *madohna |
*madoissa *madoihna | |
| elative | *madosta | *madoista | |
| illative | *matohën | *matoihën | |
| adessive | *madolla | *madoilla | |
| ablative | *madolta | *madoilta | |
| allative | *matolën *matolëk |
*matoilën *matoilëk | |
| essive | *matona | *matoina | |
| translative | *madoksi | *madoiksi | |
| instructive | *madon | *madoin | |
| comitative | *matonëk | *matoinëk | |
| abessive | *madotta | *madoitta | |
Descendants
Further reading
- “madu”, in [ETY] Eesti etümoloogiasõnaraamat [Estonian Etymological Dictionary] (in Estonian) (online version), Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus (Estonian Language Foundation), 2012
- Itkonen, Erkki, Kulonen, Ulla-Maija, editors (1992–2000), Suomen sanojen alkuperä [The origin of Finnish words] (in Finnish) (online version; note: also includes other etymological sources), Helsinki: Institute for the Languages of Finland/Finnish Literature Society, →ISBN
References
- Holopainen, Sampsa. 2019. Indo-Iranian borrowings in Uralic. PhD thesis, University of Helsinki.
- Häkkinen, Kaisa (2004) Nykysuomen etymologinen sanakirja [Modern Finnish Etymological Dictionary] (in Finnish), Juva: WSOY, →ISBN