*maskā

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *maskā "mesh, net" for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

In its analysis it is inherited from Proto-Germanic *maskwǭ (“loop, knot; mesh”),^[1] which Orel writes *maskwō(n) and Köbler *maskō-, *maskwō-.^[2][3] Kroonen sets up a West Germanic feminine *maskō(n)- beside the masculine *maska- "mesh" behind Old English masc.^[4]

Morphology

A feminine noun on the continent: Old High German has a feminine n-stem maska beside a masculine n-stem masko,^[5] and Old Saxon a feminine maska, whose stem class is uncertain.^[6] Old English masc, max is neuter;^[7] EWA notes that only the nominative and dative plural ⟨max⟩, ⟨maxum⟩ are recorded, which point to a nominative singular *mæsc, remade as *masc.^[5]

Evidence

The word is recorded in Old English masc, Old Saxon maska, glossing Latin macula and plaga in glosses of about 1000,^[6] and Old High German maska, in glosses from the 9th century.^[5] For Old Dutch, ONW files under Old Dutch maska the personal name ⟨Masc⟩ in the records of St Peter's Abbey in Ghent and the Malberg glosses ⟨naschus⟩ and ⟨nasde⟩ of the Lex Salica and the Pactus legis Salicae (507–768), in the law on the theft of a fishing net.^[8]

Competing analyses

EWA traces the West Germanic words to Proto-Germanic *maska-, *maskō-, and sets apart the North Germanic words, such as Old Norse mǫskvi, as a different formation, *maskwa-, *maskwōn-;^[5] Wiktionary and Orel derive the West Germanic word from a form with *-w- as well.^[1][2] Kroonen thinks the Old Norse word and Old English mǣscre may go back to an old heteroclitic paradigm.^[4]

EWA also sets up a West Germanic variant with a long vowel, *māska-, on the evidence of Westphalian and Rhenish dialect forms and Middle Dutch maesce, Dutch maas; because of the Westphalian form some scholars give the Old Saxon word a long vowel too.^[5] Kroonen instead puts the long vowel of the Dutch forms down to contamination with *mēsōn- "spot, stain", and EWA reports this view.^[4][5]

Meanings

1. mesh, net^[1][7]

Old Saxon also used the word for "loop, noose",^[6] and Old High German for "loop" and "fine fabric".^[9]

Reflexes

• Old English: masc (“mesh, net”)^[7]
• Old Saxon: maska (“mesh, loop, noose”)^[6]
• Old Dutch: maska (“mesh”)^[8]
• Old High German: maska (“mesh, loop, net”)^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *maskā
2. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 262
3. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *maskō-
4. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 356
5. ^ a b c d e f g Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. maska
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. maska
7. ^ a b c Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. masc
8. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. maska
9. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. maska