maχ

There is a classic assumption going back to Hamp 1958a that connects Etruscan maχ ‘four’ with Cuneiform Luwian māwa- ‘four’ (see s.v.). This was accepted also by Steinbauer 1999a:378, who even reconstructs Proto-Tyrrhenian *mav. The hypothesis was rejected by Oettinger 2010a:243 (but on false grounds) and by De Simone 2008a:175f., who pointed out that the Etruscan numeral means ‘five’ (see already Rix 1969a: 848 and now Wallace 2008a:54f.). Note also that the Etruscan word goes back to *maχ^w (Rix 1984a:210, contra Steinbauer 1999a:378 and Oettinger 2010a:243 n. 26) and although the prehistory of māwa- is hardly known, none of the suggested etymologies assume such a phoneme in its prehistory (see the discussion s.v. Cuneiform Luwian māwa-).

[Zs.S.]