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*mey-

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Etymology and origin of the Proto-Indo-European word *mey-

*mey-1 to fasten

Confidence
Probable

Reconstruction

LIV sets up the root as 1.*mei̯- "to fasten",[1] and Kümmel's addenda revise it to *Hmei̯-, with an initial laryngeal of unknown colour.[2] Mallory and Adams write *mei- "to fix a post in the ground", and Matasović *mey- "to bind, fix".[3][4] De Vaan reconstructs the noun behind Latin moenia as *(H)moi-ni- "construction", with a question mark.[5]

Morphology

LIV reconstructs a néu̯-present *mi-néu̯/nu-, continued by Sanskrit मिनोति (minóti) and by Old Irish do-dimen, and counts the Latvian present, a Vedic s-aorist and the Vedic perfect as innovations.[1] Kümmel's addenda list a perfect *He-Hmói̯/Hmi-, on the evidence of perfect forms in Vedic and Old Irish, perhaps also Hittite mēma- (“to speak”).[2] Matasović derives the Old Irish verb from *to-dī-mi-nu-, with a simplex that is not attested.[4]

Evidence

The root is cited here from Indo-Aryan, Celtic, Baltic, Germanic and Italic.[1][6][5] Its Anatolian evidence is doubtful: Catsanicos set up an initial *h₂ or *h₃ because of Hittite suhmili-, but Kloekhorst points to the variant suhpili- and the word's unclear meaning, so Kümmel leaves the laryngeal undetermined.[1][2] If Hittite mēma- "to speak" belongs here, Kümmel takes it as evidence for *h₁, with the meaning developing as in Hittite tē- "to say" from *dʰeh₁-.[2] LIV lists no Greek or Tocharian form.[1]

Competing analyses

Bailey assigns the Khotanese verb "to make (into something)" that LIV lists here to the root "to change", 2.*mei̯- below.[1]

Meanings

  1. to fasten,[1] to fix a post in the ground,[3] to bind, fix[4]

The Vedic verb means "fastens, erects", and Latin builds on the noun the words for defensive walls and fortifying.[1][5] Pokorny's root mei- 1 "to strengthen; pole" covers the same material.[7]

Derivatives

  • *moi-to-, a to-stem, in Latvian miets (“post, stick”) and Proto-Germanic *maida- (“post”).[6]
  • *míts "stake, post", which Mallory and Adams find in a Sanskrit word for "pillar, post".[3]
  • *(H)moi-ni- "construction"?, in Proto-Italic *moini- (“protective wall”).[5]

Reflexes

  • Indo-Aryan: Sanskrit मिनोति (minóti, “builds, fastens, erects”).[8]
  • Celtic: Old Irish do-dimen (“binds, fixes”), from Proto-Celtic *mi-nu- (“to bind”).[4]
  • Baltic: Latvian miet (“to set a post”).[6][5]
  • Germanic: Old Norse meiðr (“beam, log, tree”).[6]
  • Italic: Latin moenia (“defensive walls”).[5]

*mey-2 to change, exchange

Confidence
Probable

Reconstruction

LIV sets up the root as 2.*mei̯- "to switch; to exchange, change",[9] and Kümmel's addenda revise it to *h₂mei̯-.[10] LIV had already considered *h₂mei̯-, if *h₂meygʷ- "to change" is an extension of this root.[9] De Vaan reconstructs *h₂mei-, since without the laryngeal Greek ἀμείβω (ameíbō, “to exchange, change”) has to be separated.[11] Mallory and Adams write *mei- "exchange".[12]

Morphology

LIV reconstructs a full-grade e-present *méi̯-e- and a sk̑é-present *mi-sk̑é-, and counts the nasal presents of Welsh and Old Church Slavonic as innovations.[9] The Tocharian B verb mäsk- (“to exchange”) is derived from *mi-ske/o- by Melchert, followed by Adams.[13] Normier instead derives it from *hₐmigʷ-ske/o-, the source of Greek ἀμείβω (ameíbō).[13] Kümmel's addenda add a Chorasmian present meaning "to loosen", perhaps through "to exchange".[10]

Evidence

Mallory and Adams find the verb in Baltic, Indo-Iranian and Tocharian, and nouns from it with meanings from "treasure" to "punishment".[12] Reflexes are cited below from Indo-Aryan, Tocharian, Baltic, Slavic, Celtic and Italic; no Anatolian form is cited.[9] Mallory and Adams report that Rédei counts *mei- "exchange" among the earliest Indo-European words in Uralic, compared with a Proto-Uralic verb "to give, sell".[14]

Competing analyses

LIV derives Latin meō (“to go”) and Old Church Slavonic мѣнити (měniti, “to change”) from this root, but compares *meyth₂- on the other hand.[9] De Vaan explains the Latin verb from a noun *h₂mei-o- "change, movement", through "change places" > "go on, proceed".[11]

Meanings

  1. to switch[9]
  2. to exchange, to change[9][12]

Mallory and Adams take *mei- and *meyth₂- as terms of balanced reciprocity, an exchange in which neither side seeks an advantage.[15] The sense "to go, pass" of the Baltic, Slavic, Celtic and Latin verbs is explained by de Vaan as "to change" > "change places" > "go past".[11] Watkins glosses his root mei- 1 "to change, go, move",[16] while Pokorny set up Latin meō under a separate mei- 3 "to wander, go".[17] The root "to become small, disappear" is a separate root in LIV, *meyH-.[18] Kölligan lists *mei̯- with *mei̯th₂- as the PIE roots for "exchange".[19]

Derivatives

  • Latin meō is taken by LIV as a denominative of *mei̯é-, and Old Church Slavonic мѣнити (měniti) as a denominative of Old Church Slavonic мѣна (měna, “exchange”).[9]
  • Nominal derivatives include Lithuanian maĩnas (“exchange”), Latin commūnis (“common”) and Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃 (gamains, “common”).[20]

Reflexes

  • Indo-Aryan: Sanskrit मयते (máyate, “exchanges”).[21][12]
  • Tocharian: Tocharian B mäsk- (“to exchange”), and perhaps Tocharian B mi- (“to befool, deceive”).[13][20]
  • Baltic: Latvian mît (“to exchange”), cited by LIV.[9]
  • Slavic: Old Church Slavonic минѫти (minǫti, “to pass”).[22]
  • Celtic: Proto-Celtic *mi-nV- (“to change position”).[4]
  • Italic: Latin meō (“to proceed, traverse”).[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert, p. s.v. 1.*mei̯-
  2. ^ a b c d Kümmel, Martin Joachim, Addenda und Corrigenda zu LIV², online document, last change 16 June 2026, p. 33
  3. ^ a b c Mallory, J. P.; Adams, D. Q. (2006), The Oxford Introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European World, Oxford: OUP, p. 225
  4. ^ a b c d e Matasović, Ranko (2009), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic, Leiden: Brill, p. 280
  5. ^ a b c d e f de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill, p. s.v. moenia
  6. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 347
  7. ^ Pokorny, Julius (1959), Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Bern; Munich: Francke, p. s.v. mei-1
  8. ^ Mayrhofer, Manfred (1956–1980), Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 636
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert, p. s.v. 2.*mei̯-
  10. ^ a b Kümmel, Martin Joachim, Addenda und Corrigenda zu LIV², online document, last change 16 June 2026, p. 64
  11. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill, p. s.v. meō
  12. ^ a b c d Mallory, J. P.; Adams, D. Q. (2006), The Oxford Introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European World, Oxford: OUP, p. 273
  13. ^ a b c Adams, Douglas Q. (2013), A Dictionary of Tocharian B, 2nd ed., Amsterdam: Rodopi, p. 492
  14. ^ Mallory, J. P.; Adams, D. Q. (2006), The Oxford Introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European World, Oxford: OUP, p. 81
  15. ^ Mallory, J. P.; Adams, D. Q. (2006), The Oxford Introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European World, Oxford: OUP, p. 285
  16. ^ Watkins, Calvert (2000), "Indo-European Roots", appendix to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin, p. s.v. mei-
  17. ^ Pokorny, Julius (1959), Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Bern; Munich: Francke, p. s.v. mei-3
  18. ^ Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert, p. s.v. 1.*mei̯H-
  19. ^ Klein, Jared; Joseph, Brian; Fritz, Matthias, eds. (2017–2018), Handbook of Comparative and Historical Indo-European Linguistics, 3 vols (HSK 41), Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton, p. 2261, ch. 124, Kölligan
  20. ^ a b Adams, Douglas Q. (2013), A Dictionary of Tocharian B, 2nd ed., Amsterdam: Rodopi, p. 493
  21. ^ Mayrhofer, Manfred (1956–1980), Kurzgefasstes etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindischen, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 585
  22. ^ Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 318
Cite this entry

“*mey-.” Etymologically, 7 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/ine-pro/*mey-. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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