Reconstruction:Proto-Sino-Tibetan/ŋwə

This Proto-Sino-Tibetan 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-Sino-Tibetan

Reconstruction

  • Proto-Sino-Tibetan: *ngwjəɣ (Coblin, 1986)
    • Proto-Tibeto-Burman: *ŋwa (Matisoff, STEDT; Benedict, 1972; Weidert, 1987; LaPolla, 1987); *ngwa(*B) (Coblin, 1986)

Some have noticed a similarity with Proto-Indo-European *gʷṓws (“cattle”) (whence English cow, Latin bōs) (Koenraad, 1999; Chang, 1988).

Compare Thai งัว (ngua) / วัว (wua, “bullock, cow”), Lao ງົວ (ngūa, “bullock, cow”). Because of the restricted geographic distribution of this Tai etymon, Benedict (1972) suspects Chinese to be a loan from Tai: Li (1976) concludes the Tai item is not a loan from Chinese as it is not found in northern Tai dialects. The relationship between this PST root and the Tai comparanda remains unclear.

Noun

*ŋwə

  1. cattle, ox

Descendants

  • Chinese: 牛 (OC /*ŋʷə/ (B-S), /*ŋʷɯ/ (ZS), “cattle”) (see there for further descendants)
  • rGyalrongic
    • West rGyalrongic
      • Horpa
        • Tangut: 𗱆 (*ŋwe²)
    • East rGyalrongic
      • Japhug: nɯŋa
  • Naic
    • Proto-Naish: *wa
      • Naxi: ee (/⁠ɰɯ³³⁠/, “bovine, bull”)
      • Narua: yi (/⁠ʝi˥⁠/, “ox”) (also used to make many bovine compounds)
      • Laze: [Term?] (/⁠vi˧⁠/)
  • Proto-Lolo-Burmese: *nwa²
    • Burmish
      • Achang: noeu
      • Burmese: နွား (nwa:, “cattle”)
      • Lashi: no³³ (“year of the ox”)
      • Pela: nɔ³¹
    • Proto-Loloish: *nwa²
      • Northern Loloish
        • Yi (Liangshan): ꆈꑌ (nuo nyi, “beef cow”), ꒈꑌ (yyx nyi, “water buffalo”), ꑍꃀ (nyip mop, “cow”)
      • Central Loloish
        • Kucong: nv³¹ ȵi³³ (“ox, cattle”)
        • Lahu: nu⁵³ (“year of the ox”)
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