The aim of this paper is to clarify the etymology of the MK. verb t?wi- ‘to clasp, clench, grasp’ and search for the possible cognates of it. First, we have examined the uses and sound changes of the MK. verb t?wi-, Py?ngbuk dialect t?pu-thi- ‘to attack suddenly and snatch away’ and t?p?k-?il ‘attacking suddenly and snatching’ in linguistic sources. Based on the MK. verb t?wi-, Py?ngbuk dialect t?pu-thi- and t?p?k-?il we have reconstructed the earlier forms *t?βi- and *t?pi- ‘to clasp, clench, grasp’. It seems to me that Py?ngbuk dialect t?pu-thi- ‘to attack suddenly and snatch away’ and t?p?k- of t?p?k-?il ‘attacking suddenly and snatching’ might have respectively undergone the following word-formation process:
*t?pi- ‘to clasp, clench, grasp’ + adverbial suffix -u + thi- ‘to attack’ → t?pu-thi- ‘to attack suddenly and snatch away’
*t?pi- ‘to clasp, clench, grasp’ + deverbal nominal suffix -?k → t?p?k ‘attacking suddenly and snatching’
And then we have tried to find the possible cognates in the Altaic languages which may satisfy the condition of sound-correspondence and semantic congruence. Sound-correspondence and semantic congruence suggest that the possible cognates of MK. verb t?wi- ‘to clasp, clench, grasp’ are to be found in the Manchu-Tungus languages. Cognates of the MK. verb t?wi- are most probably Evenki tewe- ~ t?w?- ‘pojmat?, lovit?, shvatit?’, Even tew- ‘pojmat?, slovit?, shvatit?’, Negidal tewen- ‘pojmat?, slovit?, shvatit?’ and Udehe tewen-e- ‘lovit?’.