Proto-North-Dravidian : *maj-nca
Meaning : malt; beverage
Kurukh : mãyã "malt prepared for making beer, malt refuse, beer in its preparatory stage"
Malto : mēca "an intoxicating beverage prepared of corn"
Notes : A very complicated case. The PDR root is *maj-; however, in order to explain both the nasalization in Kurukh and the strange form in Malto, we have to suppose at least a specific suffix (probably modifying the original meaning 'intoxication' into 'intoxicating beverage'). And only a unique sound combination, like *-jnc-, could account for the unique correspondence Kur. -ãy- - Mlt. -ēc-. If this is the case, then in Kurukh *majnc- > *mãjc- > *mãj-, while in Mlt. *majnc- > *mēnc- > *mēc-. The problem is: what is the nature of this *-nc-?
Additional forms : Also KUR (Hahn) māyā, mā̃yān_ arrack made of rice.
Number in DED : 4706
