Reconstruction:Proto-Naish/ni ma

This Proto-Naish entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Naish

Etymology

Compound with *ma (noun-forming element); the first element is from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *sV-ni(ŋ~k) (“heart”). This compound also frequently appears in Loloish; see STEDT.

Noun

*ni ma

  1. heart

Reconstruction notes

Li points out that the first element's vowel has an irregular correspondence between Naxi, Na, and Malimasa; Malimasa has /ɯ/ while Naxi and Na have /v/.[1] The Malimasa reflex is regular from *i (which we would expect from the this word's further Sino-Tibetan etymology), while Naxi and Na reflect a *u. Given this, the Naxi and Na reflexes may be due to spontaneous rounding of the *i to *u before the labial-initial second element of this compound.

Descendants

  • Naxi: nvlmei
  • Narua: numi
  • Laze: [Term?] (/⁠ɲi˩ mie˩⁠/)

References

  1. ^ Li, Zihe (2022) A Naish Historical Phonology: The Rhyme System‎[1], page 43
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