Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/medestos

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 *medos (“measure, judgement”) +‎ *-tos (adjectival suffix).

Adjective

*medestos

1. adjective of unclear meaning, see reconstruction notes

Reconstruction notes

• The Latin and Umbrian adjectives are generally considered related, but their semantics are so divergent from each other that reconstructing the meaning of their common etymon is difficult from looking at the daughter languages alone.
• One hint to a possible reconstructed meaning is how Latin -tus makes adjectives indicating being provided with whatever its noun base is. Thus, the Latin meaning could be derived from a meaning "measured" and the Umbrian use could be from a meaning "bearing judgement".

Declension

Declension of *medestos (o/ā-stem)

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	*medestos	*medestā	*medestom
Vocative	*medeste	*medesta	*medestom
Accusative	*medestom	*medestam	*medestom
Genitive	*medestosjo, medestī	*medestās	*medestosjo, medestī
Dative	*medestōi	*medestāi	*medestōi
Ablative	*medestōd	*medestād	*medestōd
Locative	*medestei	*medestāi	*medestei
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	*medestōs, medestoi	*medestās	*medestā
Vocative	*medestōs, medestoi	*medestās	*medestā
Accusative	*medestons	*medestans	*medestā
Genitive	*medestom	*medestāzōm	*medestom
Dative	*medestois	*medestais	*medestois
Ablative	*medestois	*medestais	*medestois
Locative	*medestois	*medestais	*medestois

Descendants

• Latin: modestus (“moderate, modest”) (see there for further descendants)
• Umbrian: (referring to some quality of augural birds) mersto (acc. sg. m.), mersta, meersta (acc. sg. f), merstu (abl. sg. m.), merstaf, mersto (acc. pl. f.)