Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/mataḳ-

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 edit

Etymology edit

Possibly related to Proto-Indo-European *médʰu (“honey”),^[1] if not borrowed from Hittite 𒃻𒆸𒊏𒆯𒆯 (/⁠mitgaimi⁠/).^[2] This is unlikely, considering the difference in timeframes between late Proto-Semitic and early Hittite ^[3].^[4]

Verb edit

*mataḳ-

to be sweet
to make sweet, sweeten

Conjugation edit

Conjugation of Proto-Semitic/mataḳ- (paʕala)

		singular				dual			plural
verbal noun					*matḳ-
active participle					*mātiḳ-
passive participle					matīḳ-, matūḳ-
		1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person		1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person	1^st person	2^nd person	3^rd person
perfect	m	*mataḳku	*mataḳka	*mataḳa		*mataḳkayā	*mataḳkā	*mataḳā	*mataḳna	*mataḳkanu	*mataḳū
perfect	f	*mataḳku	*mataḳki	*mataḳat		*mataḳkayā	*mataḳkā	*mataḳatā	*mataḳna	*mataḳkina	*mataḳā

imperfect	m	*ʔamtiḳ	*tamtiḳ	*yimtiḳ			*tamtiḳā	*yamtiḳā	*nimtiḳ	*tamtiḳū	*yimtiḳū
imperfect	f	*ʔamtiḳ	*tamtiḳī	*tamtiḳ			*tamtiḳā	*tamtiḳā	*nimtiḳ	*tamtiḳā	*yimtiḳā

imperative	m		*matiḳ				*matiḳā			*matiḳū
imperative	f		*matiḳī				*matiḳā			*matiḳā

Descendants edit

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: 𒈠𒋫𒄣 (matāqum)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Aramaic:
      Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: מתק (matteq)
    - Canaanite:
      - Hebrew: מתק (mtq)
- Ethiopian Semitic:
  - Ge'ez: መተቀ (mätäḳä)

Noun edit

*mataḳ- m or f

sweetness
something sweet

Inflection edit

Masculine:

Declension of *mataḳ-

Case

Singular

Dual

Plural

Nominative

*mataḳum

*mataḳāna

plural stem + *-ūna

Genitive

*mataḳim

*mataḳayna

plural stem + *-īna

Accusative

*mataḳam

possessive forms

1st person

*mataḳī / *mataḳVya

—

*mataḳVni

2nd person m

*mataḳVka

*mataḳVkumā / *mataḳVkumay

*mataḳVkum(ū)

2nd person f

*mataḳVki

*mataḳVkin(ā)

3rd person m

*mataḳVšu

*mataḳVšumā / *mataḳVšumay

*mataḳVšum(ū)

3rd person f

*mataḳVša

*mataḳVšin(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: *mataḳuya for nom. case, *mataḳiya for gen. case, *mataḳaya for acc. case, etc.

Declension of 2sg m. possessive form (your/thy m.) *mataḳ-

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*mataḳuka	*mataḳāka	plural stem + *-ūka
Genitive	*mataḳika	*mataḳayka	plural stem + *-īka
Accusative	*mataḳaka	*mataḳayka	plural stem + *-īka

Declension of 2sg f. possessive form (your/thy f.) *mataḳ-

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*mataḳuki	*mataḳāki	plural stem + *-ūki
Genitive	*mataḳiki	*mataḳayki	plural stem + *-īki
Accusative	*mataḳaki	*mataḳayki	plural stem + *-īki

Feminine:

Declension of *mataḳ-

Case

Singular

Dual

Plural

Nominative

*mataḳum

*mataḳāna

*mataḳātum

Genitive

*mataḳim

*mataḳayna

*mataḳātim

Accusative

*mataḳam

possessive forms

1st person

*mataḳī / *mataḳVya

—

*mataḳVni

2nd person m

*mataḳVka

*mataḳVkumā / *mataḳVkumay

*mataḳVkum(ū)

2nd person f

*mataḳVki

*mataḳVkin(ā)

3rd person m

*mataḳVšu

*mataḳVšumā / *mataḳVšumay

*mataḳVšum(ū)

3rd person f

*mataḳVša

*mataḳVšin(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: *mataḳuya for nom. case, *mataḳiya for gen. case, *mataḳaya for acc. case, etc.

Declension of 2sg m. possessive form (your/thy m.) *mataḳ-

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*mataḳuka	*mataḳāka	*mataḳātuka
Genitive	*mataḳika	*mataḳayka	*mataḳātika
Accusative	*mataḳaka	*mataḳayka	*mataḳātika

Declension of 2sg f. possessive form (your/thy f.) *mataḳ-

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*mataḳuki	*mataḳāki	*mataḳātuki
Genitive	*mataḳiki	*mataḳayki	*mataḳātiki
Accusative	*mataḳaki	*mataḳayki	*mataḳātiki

Descendants edit

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: 𒃻𒈬𒌓𒆪𒌑 (mutqûm, “sweet bread”)
  - → Hittite: 𒃻𒆸𒊏𒆯𒆯 (^NINDAKUR₄.RA KU₇-KU₇ /⁠mitgaimi-⁠/, “sweet bread”) (if not the other way around^[5])
  - → Luwian: 𒈪𒀉𒂵𒄿𒈪 (mi-it-ga-i-mi /⁠mitgaimi-⁠/, “sweet(ened)”)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Canaanite:
      - Hebrew: מֹתֶק (mótek, mṓṯeq), מֶתֶק (métek, méṯeq)
- Ethiopian Semitic:
  - Ge'ez: መተቀ (mätäḳä)

Adjective edit

*mataḳ-^[1]

sweet

Inflection edit

Declension of *mataḳ-

Case	Singular		Dual		Plural
	m	f	m	f	m	f
Nominative	*mataḳum	*mataḳatum	*mataḳāna	*mataḳatāna	*mataḳūna	*mataḳātum
Genitive	*mataḳim	*mataḳatim	*mataḳayna	*mataḳatayna	*mataḳīna	*mataḳātim
Accusative	*mataḳam	*mataḳatam	*mataḳayna	*mataḳatayna	*mataḳīna	*mataḳātim

Descendants edit

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: 𒆯𒆯 (matqum)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Aramaic:
      - Classical Syriac: ܡܬܩ (məṯaq)
    - Canaanite:
      - Hebrew: מָתוֹק (matók, māṯôq)
    - Ugaritic: 𐎎𐎚𐎖 (mtq /⁠mataqu⁠/)
- Ethiopian Semitic:
  - Ge'ez: መተቀ (mätäḳä)
- Modern South Arabian:
  - Soqotri: meṭuq
  - Mehri: maṭaq

References edit

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Mallory, J. P., Adams, D. Q. (2006) The Oxford introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European world, Oxford University Press, page 82: “Proto-Semitic *mVtk- ‘sweet’”
^ Rabin, Chaim (1963) “Hittite Words in Hebrew”, in Orientalia, volume 32, number 2, →DOI, page 130
^ Huehnergard, John (2019) “Introduction to the Semitic languages and their history”, in John Huehnergard and Na‘ama Pat-El, editor, The Semitic Languages, Second edition, New York: Routledge
^ van den Hout, Theo, (2020). A History of Hittite Literacy: Writing and Reading in Late Bronze-Age Anatolia (1650–1200 BC), Published online: 18 December 2020, Print publication: 07 January 2021, "Introduction": "...The hero of this book is literacy, writing and reading, in the Hittite kingdom in ancient Anatolia, or modern-day Turkey, from roughly 1650 to 1200 bc, give or take several years or perhaps even a decade or two..."
^ Rabin, Chaim (1963) “Hittite Words in Hebrew”, in Orientalia, volume 32, number 2, →DOI, page 130

[TOitPIEatPIEw-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Mallory, J. P., Adams, D. Q. (2006) The Oxford introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European world, Oxford University Press, page 82: “Proto-Semitic *mVtk- ‘sweet’”

[2] Rabin, Chaim (1963) “Hittite Words in Hebrew”, in Orientalia, volume 32, number 2, →DOI, page 130

[Huehnergard_2019-3] Huehnergard, John (2019) “Introduction to the Semitic languages and their history”, in John Huehnergard and Na‘ama Pat-El, editor, The Semitic Languages, Second edition, New York: Routledge

[4] van den Hout, Theo, (2020). A History of Hittite Literacy: Writing and Reading in Late Bronze-Age Anatolia (1650–1200 BC), Published online: 18 December 2020, Print publication: 07 January 2021, "Introduction": "...The hero of this book is literacy, writing and reading, in the Hittite kingdom in ancient Anatolia, or modern-day Turkey, from roughly 1650 to 1200 bc, give or take several years or perhaps even a decade or two..."

[5] Rabin, Chaim (1963) “Hittite Words in Hebrew”, in Orientalia, volume 32, number 2, →DOI, page 130

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