Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/māros

This Proto-Celtic 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-Celtic

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *meh₂-ro-s,^[1] from *meh₂- (“good”), as the comparative and superlative reflect *h₂. Derived by others from Proto-Indo-European *moh₁-ro-s (“great”), with o-grade of the root *meh₁- (“to measure”), but then the comparative and superlative must be suppletive.^[2]^[3] Cognate with Ancient Greek -μωρος (-mōros, “mighty”) and maybe with Proto-Germanic *mērijaz (“renowned, famous, great”), Old Church Slavonic мѣръ (měrŭ, “great”), but unrelated to Romanian mare (“good”).

Adjective

*māros (comparative *māyūs, superlative *maisamos)

big, great
Antonym: *biggos

Inflection

O/ā-stem
masculine	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*māros	*mārou	*māroi
vocative	*māre	*mārou	*māroi
accusative	*mārom	*mārou	*māroms
genitive	*mārī	*mārous	*mārom
dative	*mārūi	*mārobom	*mārobos
instrumental	*mārū	*mārobim	*mārobis
feminine	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*mārā	*mārai	*mārās
vocative	*mārā	*mārai	*mārās
accusative	*māram	*mārai	*mārams
genitive	*mārās	*mārous	*mārom
dative	*mārai	*mārābom	*mārābos
instrumental	*?	*mārābim	*mārābis
neuter	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*mārom	*mārou	*mārā
vocative	*mārom	*mārou	*mārā
accusative	*mārom	*mārou	*mārā
genitive	*mārī	*mārous	*mārom
dative	*mārūi	*mārobom	*mārobos
instrumental	*mārū	*mārobim	*mārobis

Derived terms

Related terms

*mā-yūs m or f (comparative)^[1] (from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂-yōs, see *meh₂-)
- Old Irish: mó, ⇒ moü, moä (resuffixed with -u and -a)
  - Irish: mó
  - Scottish Gaelic: mò
  - Manx: moo
*ma-is n (comparative)^[1] (from *meh₂-is)
- Proto-Brythonic: *mes
  - Breton: mui
  - Cornish: moy
  - Old Welsh: moi
    - Middle Welsh: moe, ⇒ mwy (by analogy to hwy (“longer”))
      - Welsh: mwy
- Old Irish: má, ⇒ máa (resuffixed with -a)
*ma-is-amos (superlative)^[1] (rebuilt from *meh₂-m̥mo-s)
- Old Irish: máam, ⇒ moam (analogy with mó)

Descendants

Proto-Brythonic: *mọr
- Old Breton: mor
  - Breton: meur
- Old Cornish: maur
  - Middle Cornish: mur
    - Cornish: meur
- Old Welsh: maur
  - Middle Welsh: mawr
    - Welsh: mawr
Old Irish: már, máar, ⇒ mór (analogy with mó)
- Irish: mór
- Manx: mooar
- Scottish Gaelic: mòr
⇒ Old Irish: -mar (adjective-forming suffix)
- Irish: -mhar
- Scottish Gaelic: -mhor
- Manx: -r, -yr
Gaulish: maros^[4]
- ⇒ Gaulish: Danomaros (personal name)
Lepontic: 𐌌𐌀𐌓𐌖𐌉 (marui)

Unsorted:

→? Byzantine Greek: μάραον (máraon, “sweet chestnut”, literally “great one”)
- → Italian: marrone (“chestnut; chestnut-colored”) (see there for further descendants)

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 Jasanoff, Jay (1988–1990) “The origin of the Celtic comparative type OIr. tressa, MW trech ‘stronger’”, in Die Sprache‎^[1], volume 34, published 1991, pages 171-189
^ Zair, Nicholas (2012) The reflexes of the Proto-Indo-European laryngeals in Celtic, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 110
^ Matasović, Ranko (2009) “*māro-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 258
^ Delamarre, Xavier (2003) “maros”, in Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise: une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental [Dictionary of the Gaulish language: A linguistic approach to Old Continental Celtic] (Collection des Hespérides; 9), 2nd edition, Éditions Errance, →ISBN, page 218f.

[Jasanoff-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 Jasanoff, Jay (1988–1990) “The origin of the Celtic comparative type OIr. tressa, MW trech ‘stronger’”, in Die Sprache‎^[1], volume 34, published 1991, pages 171-189

[2] Zair, Nicholas (2012) The reflexes of the Proto-Indo-European laryngeals in Celtic, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 110

[3] Matasović, Ranko (2009) “*māro-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 258

[4] Delamarre, Xavier (2003) “maros”, in Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise: une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental [Dictionary of the Gaulish language: A linguistic approach to Old Continental Celtic] (Collection des Hespérides; 9), 2nd edition, Éditions Errance, →ISBN, page 218f.

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