*makaz

Runic: ᛗᚨᚲᚨᛉ Pronunciation: /ˈmɑ.kɑz/

adjective · a-stem

Meanings

fit, suitable, agreeable, comfortable

Etymology

Of uncertain origin; there exist numerous formations across Indo-European branches with similar semantics and phonetics involving a bilabial nasal *m initial and a velar or palatovelar *k, *g, *ḱ, *ǵ final in the root, albeit with subtle phonetic issues that are difficult to reconcile.

Kroonen tentatively derives the adjective from a Proto-Indo-European *meg- (‘to be comfortable, pleasant’), and connects Old Irish mám (‘yoke’) (< *mag-mo-), Lithuanian mė́gti (‘to like’) (< *meg-ye-). He rejects other theories, which take the form of the Indo-European root as *meh₂ǵ-, *meh₂ḱ- (‘to knead’) and connect Ancient Greek μάσσω (mássō) (mássō, ‘to handle, knead’) (see there for more), instead postulating that the original sense was more likely "to match, put together" rather than "to knead". However, Derksen considers the Lithuanian to derive from a different root, rendering Kroonen's theory more uncertain.

Declension

Strong declension

Case	Sg. Masc.	Sg. Fem.	Sg. Neut.	Pl. Masc.	Pl. Fem.	Pl. Neut.
Nom.	makaz	makō	maką, -atō	makai	makôz	makō
Acc.	makanǭ	makǭ	maką, -atō	makanz	makōz	makō
Gen.	makas, -is	makaizōz	makas, -is	makaizǫ̂	makaizǫ̂	makaizǫ̂
Dat.	makammai	makaizōi	makammai	makaimaz	makaimaz	makaimaz
Inst.	makanō	makaizō	makanō	makaimiz	makaimiz	makaimiz

Weak declension

Case	Sg. Masc.	Sg. Fem.	Sg. Neut.	Pl. Masc.	Pl. Fem.	Pl. Neut.
Nom.	makô	makǭ	makô	makaniz	makōniz	makōnō
Acc.	makanų	makōnų	makô	makanunz	makōnunz	makōnō
Gen.	makiniz	makōniz	makiniz	makanǫ̂	makōnǫ̂	makanǫ̂
Dat.	makini	makōni	makini	makammaz	makōmaz	makammaz
Inst.	makinē	makōnē	makinē	makammiz	makōmiz	makammiz

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Descendants

*mak (Proto-West Germanic)
- *mak (Old Dutch)
  - mack (Middle Dutch)
    - mak (Dutch)
      - mak (West Frisian)
*mak (Proto-West Germanic)
- *mak (Old Dutch)
  - mack (Middle Dutch)
    - mackelijc (Middle Dutch)
      - makkelijk (Dutch)
*mak (Proto-West Germanic)
- mæc (Old English)
  - make (Middle English)
*mak (Proto-West Germanic)
- mæc (Old English)
  - macalīċ (Old English)
    - makli (Middle English)
      - mackly (English)
      - makly (Scots)
*mak (Proto-West Germanic)
- *mek (Old Frisian)
  - määk, meek (North Frisian)
  - mäk (Saterland Frisian)
*mak (Proto-West Germanic)
- *mak (Old Saxon)
  - mak (Middle Low German)
    - mack, maak (German Low German)
makr (Old Norse)
- makur (Faroese)
- makur (Icelandic)
- mak (Norwegian)
makr (Old Norse)
- makligr (Old Norse)
  - makligur (Faroese)
  - maklegur (Icelandic)
  - makelig (Norwegian Bokmål)
  - makeleg, makleg (Norwegian Nynorsk)
makr (Old Norse)
- makligr (Old Norse)
  - maklæk (Old Danish)
    - magelig (Danish)

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