mai-1

    mai-1

    English meaning: to cut down, work with a sharp instrument

    Deutsche Übersetzung: “hauen, abhauen, with einem scharfen Werkzeug bearbeiten”

    Note: probably actually mǝi- and s-lose form besides smēi- : smǝi- : smī- “carve, with a scharfen tool arbeiten”.

    Material: 1. O.Ir. máel “naked, bald, bleak, dull, without Hörner”, O.Welsh mail “mutilum”, Welsh moel “calvus, glaber” (*mai-lo-s “abgehackt”); 2. d-extension: Goth. maitan “hew, hit, cut, clip”, O.Ice. meita, O.H.G. meizan “cut, clip”, O.Ice. meitill m., O.H.G. meizil “chisel”, O.H.G. stein-meizo ‘steinmetz”; in addition O.E. mīte, O.H.G. mīza “Milbe” (probably to Gk. μίδας “Made”), perhaps also O.E. ǣ-mette, Eng. ant, emmet , O.H.G. ü-meiza “Ameise” (“Abschneider”); whether also O.Bulg. mědь “Erz”, Russ. mědь “ copper”? 3. t-extension: O.Ind. mḗ thati “verletzt” (expressives th), Gk. μίτυλος “mutilated, without Hörner”, μιστύλλω “zerstũckle (Fleisch)”; O.Ice. meiða “körperlich injure, verstũmmeln, destroy”, M.H.G. meidem “male horse” (eig. “Kastrat”), Goth. *gamaiÞ-s “ crippled “, wherefore (probably after den Hofnarren) O.H.G. gimeit “verrũckt”, M.H.G. in bonam partem gewendet gemeit “lebensfroh, pert, beautiful, lieb”, O.S. gimēd , O.E. gemüd, mæded “verrũckt”, Eng. mad ds.; O.Lith. ap-maitinti “verwunden”, Ltv. màitât ‘spoil, destroy”, Lith. maĩtėlis “verschnittener, gemästeter boar”, O.Pruss. nomaytis “verschnittener boar”, ismaitint “lose” (as it. perdere); different Mũhlenbach-Endzelin II 552.

    References: WP. II 212, Holthausen AltWestn. Wb. 193, 194.