*men-

*men-¹ to think

Reconstruction

LIV sets up 1.*men- 'to grasp a thought', with the zero grade *mn̥- and the o-grade *mon-.^[1] Beekes, de Vaan, Kroonen and Fortson give the root as *men- 'to think'.^[2][3][4][5]

Morphology

LIV lists a root aorist *mén-/mn-, a nu-present *mn̥-néu̯/nu-, a zero-grade i̯é-present *mn̥-i̯é- in Sanskrit मन्यते (mányate) and Ancient Greek μαίνομαι (maínomai, “I rage”), a perfect *me-món/mn-, a causative *mon-éi̯e- in Latin moneō, a fientive *mn-éh₁- and an essive *mn̥-h₁i̯é- in Gothic 𐌼𐌿𐌽𐌰𐌽 (munan) and Lithuanian minė́ti.^[1] The s-aorist of Indo-Iranian is an innovation in LIV's view.^[1] Jasanoff takes the perfect active *memón-e to have meant 'has in mind, remembers', beside a younger middle *memn-ór; he notes that Ancient Greek μέμονα (mémona), Latin meminī and their Gothic counterpart are no longer the perfect of any present in their languages.^[6] Beekes calls Ancient Greek μέμονα (mémona) an old stative perfect matching Latin meminī, *mé-mon-h₂e, with an old zero grade in the plural *mé-mn-me.^[2]

Evidence

The root is attested in Indo-Iranian, Greek, Italic, Celtic, Germanic, Baltic and Slavic.^[1] LIV also put the Hittite perfect mēmai (“speaks”) here with a query, but Kümmel deletes it, since its root can only be *meH- or *mei̯(H)-.^[1][7] Kloekhorst reconstructs that verb as *h₁mé-h₁m-oi-ei or *mé-moi-ei, both with a query.^[8] Kümmel adds Old High German mennen (“to summon”) to the causative.^[7]

Meanings

1. to grasp a thought, to think^[1][5]

Greek μαίνομαι (maínomai) 'to rage' shows a deviating meaning, according to Beekes.^[2] Latin mentīrī 'to lie' comes from 'to have second thoughts, be inventive', according to de Vaan.^[3]

Derivatives

• *mn-ti- 'thought, mind': Latin mēns, Lithuanian mintìs, Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌿𐌽𐌳𐍃 (gamunds).^[3][4]
• *mon-éi̯e- 'to make think of, remind': Latin moneō.^[9]
• Ancient Greek μένος (ménos), an old verbal noun.^[2]
• *men-ti-Hon-: Old Irish toimtiu (“thought”), beside Latin mentiō (“mention”).^[10]
• Beekes derives Ancient Greek μιμνήσκω (mimnḗiskō) from a root *mneh₂-, probably an extension.^[2] LIV sets it up as a separate root, *mneh₂-.^[1]

Reflexes

• Indo-Aryan: Sanskrit मन्यते (mányate, “thinks”).^[11]
• Greek: Ancient Greek μέμονα (mémona, “to have in mind, strive”).^[2]
• Italic: Latin meminī (“to remember”), Latin moneō (“to remind”).^[12][9]
• Celtic: Old Irish toimtiu (“thought”).^[10]
• Germanic: Gothic 𐌼𐌿𐌽𐌰𐌽 (munan, “to reckon, believe”).^[4]
• Baltic: Lithuanian minė́ti (“to remember, mention”).^[13]
• Slavic: Old Church Slavonic мьнѣти (mĭněti, “to believe, think”), as cited by LIV.^[1]

*men-² to stay

Reconstruction

LIV sets up 2.*men- 'to stay, wait', an atelic root.^[14] Beekes, Martirosyan and Adams give *men- 'to stay, remain'.^[15][16][17]

Morphology

LIV lists an i-reduplicated present *mi-mén/mn- in Ancient Greek μίμνω (mímnō), a full-grade present *mén-e- in Ancient Greek μένω (ménō), a sk̑é-present *mn̥-sk̑é- in Tocharian, a sigmatic aorist *mḗn/mén-s-, an iterative *mon-éi̯e-, a fientive *men-éh₁- in Latin maneō and an essive *men-h₁i̯é- in Old Armenian մնամ (mnam).^[14] Beekes calls the thematic root present Ancient Greek μένω (ménō) the base of the whole Greek system and the perfect a Greek innovation.^[15]

Evidence

Greek, Latin, Armenian, Iranian and Tocharian attest the root.^[14][15] Beekes and Matasović add the Old Irish noun ainmne (“patience”).^[15][18] LIV puts Hittite mimma- (“to refuse”) here with a query, and Jasanoff matches it with Ancient Greek μίμνω (mímnō).^[14][15] Kloekhorst rejects the connection, since 'to refuse' and 'to stay' are far apart in meaning, and reconstructs *mi-móh₁-ei, *mi-mh₁-énti instead.^[19] Beekes also finds the comparison doubtful.^[15]

Competing analyses

The vowel of Latin maneō is disputed: LIV calls it problematic, Schrijver derives it from *mon-ē- with unrounding after m, and de Vaan reconstructs *mn-eh₁- and finds both explanations ad hoc.^[14][20] Kümmel cites Vine, for whom the stem manē- is the regular outcome of *mn̥(n)-eh₁-.^[7] Martirosyan derives Old Armenian մնամ (mnam) from *men-ā-i̯e- and compares the Greek iterative.^[16]

Meanings

1. to stay, to wait^[14]

Derivatives

• Ancient Greek μονή (monḗ, “stay, abode”).^[15]
• *an-men-V-: Old Irish ainmne (“patience”).^[18]

Reflexes

• Greek: Ancient Greek μένω (ménō, “to remain, stay, wait”).^[15]
• Italic: Latin maneō (“to remain in the same place”).^[20]
• Celtic: Old Irish ainmne (“patience”).^[18]
• Armenian: Old Armenian մնամ (mnam, “to remain, stay, wait”).^[16]
• Iranian: Old Persian amānaya (“awaited”), as cited by LIV.^[14]
• Tocharian: Tocharian B mäsk- (“to be, become”).^[17]

*men-³ to jut out

Reconstruction

LIV sets up ?3.*men- 'to jut out, protrude' with a query.^[21] De Vaan and Kroonen accept a root *men- 'to stick out, jut out'.^[22][23]

Morphology

The only verb LIV cites is the essive *mn̥-h₁i̯é- in Latin ēminēre, unless it is denominative.^[21] De Vaan reconstructs *m(e)n-eh₁- for it.^[22] Kroonen takes Old Norse mæna (“to tower”) as a lengthened-grade causative *mōn-ie-.^[23]

Evidence

The verb is Latin only, but nouns and denominatives are cited from Iranian, Latin, Celtic and Germanic.^[21]

Competing analyses

De Vaan links Latin mentum (“chin”) with this root through *mn-to-, while Kroonen derives the Germanic word for 'mouth' from a root *ment-, perhaps *stment-, and finds a link with Hittite mēni- (“face, cheek”) less likely.^[24][25] Pokorny's root men- 'small, to diminish' (his men-4) is a different set of words.^[26] Matasović still cites it for Middle Irish menb (“small”), but Beekes finds the Greek and Celtic forms unclear and mentions a Pre-Greek origin for Ancient Greek μανός (manós, “thin, rare”).^[27][28]

Meanings

1. to jut out, to protrude^[21]

Derivatives

• *mon-ti- 'protrusion, height': Latin mōns (“mountain”).^[29]
• *mon-io-: Welsh mynydd (“mountain”).^[29]
• *men-ā-: Latin minae (“threats; protruding parts of a wall”).^[22]

Reflexes

• Italic: Latin ēmineō (“to stick out, protrude”), Latin mōns (“mountain”).^[22][29]
• Germanic: Old Norse mæna (“to tower”).^[23]