| Language | Lexeme | Native script | Phonetic | Phonemic | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hittite | *mi(i̯a)ḫu(u̯a)nt- | ŠU.GI-an-za | Always written using the Sumerograms LÚ.ŠU.GI. There are no syllabic writings attested, but the reconstructed stem is based on the factitive verb *mi(i̯a)ḫu(u̯a)ntaḫḫ-, mieḫuu̯andaḫḫ-, miḫuntaḫḫ- 'to make old', derived noun *mii̯aḫuu̯andatar 'old age', mii̯a(ḫ)ḫuntešš- 'to become old'. |
Argues for a derivation of Hitt. mēḫur from a root *meh₂- 'zeitlich passend sein, die/zur rechte(n) Zeit sein'.
S.v. meḫuu̯ant- 'old, elderly'. The best possible etymology is to assume a relationship to mēḫur, mēḫun- n. 'time, period', further root etymology disputed. Hitt. mēḫur is most plausibly related to *mei̯h₂- 'disappear' (Skt. minā́ti, Lat. minuō 'diminish', cf. LIV² s.v. *mei̯H-), pace [Eichner 1973](src-641), who attempts to connect to a root *meh₂- 'to be the right time' (Lat. mātūrus 'mature', mānus 'good') with a lengthened grade *mēh₂- generalised in the Hittite paradigm. Alternatively to *meh₁- 'measure', although the presence of -ḫ- makes this etymology unlikely.
For the comparanda to the root etymology advocated by Kloekhorst (2008:567-569), cf. s.v. *mei̯H- 'gering werden, schwinden' (IEW 711).
Always written using the Sumerograms LÚ.ŠU.GI, but probably to be related to Hitt. mēḫur 'time, period', from which a stem *meḫuu̯ant- can be reconstructed on the basis of derived vocabulary ([Kloekhorst 2008](src-80):568-569, cf. derived factitive verb meḫuu̯andaḫḫ- 'to make old; to age', etc.). Further root etymology disputed. According to [Eichner 1973](src-641):53-107, ultimately to PIE *meh₂- 'to be at the right time'; [Kloekhorst 2008](src-80):567-568 to *mei̯h₂- 'disappear' (= [LIV²](src-141) 1. *mei̯H- 'gering werden, verschwinden sein'), or to *meh₁- 'measure' (semantically better, but formally more difficult). [Yakubovich 2011](src-642):277-279 argues to *meh₁-, with the presence of Hitt. -ḫ- explained by secondary epenthesis.
Returns to the older etymology for Hitt. mēḫur from PIE *meh₁- 'measure', arguing for a secondary laryngeal epenthesis within Hittite between -e- and -u-.
