Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/mašk-

This Proto-Semitic 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-Semitic

Etymology

From Proto-Afroasiatic *masak-. Compare Egyptian mskꜣ (“skin, hide, leather”) and Central Atlas Tamazight ⴰⴽⵙⵓⵎ (aksum, “skin, hide”).

Noun

*mašk- m

skin

Inflection

Declension of *mašk-

Case

Singular

Dual

Plural

Nominative

*maškum

*maškāna

plural stem + *-ūna

Genitive

*maškim

*maškayna

plural stem + *-īna

Accusative

*maškam

possessive forms

1st person

*maškī / *maškVya

—

*maškVni

2nd person m

*maškVka

*maškVkumā / *maškVkumay

*maškVkum(ū)

2nd person f

*maškVki

*maškVkin(ā)

3rd person m

*maškVšu

*maškVšumā / *maškVšumay

*maškVšum(ū)

3rd person f

*maškVša

*maškVšin(ā)

Note: the endings -m and -na are dropped in the bound form, which may also undergo syncopation of an unstressed final vowel where possible.

Note: the ending -V before the possessive endings responds to case: *maškuya for nom. case, *maškiya for gen. case, *maškaya for acc. case, etc.

Declension of 2sg m. possessive form (your/thy m.) *mašk-

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*maškuka	*maškāka	plural stem + *-ūka
Genitive	*maškika	*maškayka	plural stem + *-īka
Accusative	*maškaka	*maškayka	plural stem + *-īka

Declension of 2sg f. possessive form (your/thy f.) *mašk-

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	*maškuki	*maškāki	plural stem + *-ūki
Genitive	*maškiki	*maškayki	plural stem + *-īki
Accusative	*maškaki	*maškayki	plural stem + *-īki

Descendants

East Semitic:
- Akkadian: 𒋢 (maškum, “skin, leather”)
West Semitic:
- Central Semitic:
  - Arabic: مَسْك‎ (mask, “recently cut hide of a lamb or a kid”)
  - Northwest Semitic:
    - Aramaic:
      Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: מַשְׁכָּא‎ (maškā, “skin, leather”), absolute state מְשַׁךְ‎ (mšaḵ)
      Jewish Palestinian Aramaic: משך‎ (mšk, “hide, skin, leather”)
      Imperial Aramaic: 𐡌𐡔𐡊‎ (mšk, “skin, hide”)
      Palmyrene: 𐡬𐡵𐡪‎ (mšk, “skin, hide”)
      - Classical Mandaic: ࡌࡉࡔࡊࡀ‎ (miška, “skin”), (sporadically) ࡌࡀࡔࡊࡀ‎ (maška)
      - Modern Aramaic: ܡܫܟܐ‎ (meškā, “skin”), ܡܫܟܐ‎ (miška, “skin”)
      - Classical Syriac: ܡܶܫܟܴ݁ܐ‎ (meškā, “skin, hide; leather; peel; tribute”)
      - → Ancient Greek: μέσκος (méskos, “skin, fleece”) (or from another descendant)
      - → Old Armenian: մաշկ (mašk, “skin, hide”)
        Armenian: մաշկ (mašk)
        → Cappadocian Greek: μάσκι (máski)
        → Old Georgian: მაშკი (mašḳi)
        → Romani: maski
      - → Old Persian: 𐎶𐏁𐎣𐎠 (m-š-k-a /maškā-/, “(inflated) skin”) (or from another descendant)
        Middle Persian: [script needed] (mšk' /mašk/, “mussuck, skin bag”)
        Persian: مشک‎ (mašk)
        → Chagatai: مشك‎ (mešk), مشیك‎ (mešik)
        → Hindustani:
        Hindi: मशक (maśak)
        Urdu: مشک‎ (maśak)
        → English: mussuck
        → Ottoman Turkish: مشك‎ (meşk)
    - Canaanite:
      - Hebrew: מֶשֶׁךְ‎ (méshekh, méšeḵ, “leather pouch”) (with a meaning shift)

References

Tower of Babel
“mšk”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
Shooshtary, Dakhil (2012), “Skin”, in Mandaic Dictionary: English Mandaic, Bloomington: AuthorHouse, →ISBN, page 239
Militarev, Alexander; Kogan, Leonid (2000) Semitic Etymological Dictionary, volume I: Anatomy of Man and Animals, Münster: Ugarit-Verlag, →ISBN, No. 190
Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1977), “մաշկ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), volume III, 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press, page 260
Hübschmann, Heinrich (1897) Armenische Grammatik. 1. Theil: Armenische Etymologie (in German), Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, page 311