Reconstruction:Proto-Sino-Tibetan/kV-ni-s

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: *gnyis (Coblin, 1986); *kɯ-nis (Miyake, 2010)
- Proto-Tibeto-Burman: *g/s-ni-s (Matisoff, STEDT); *g-nis (Benedict, 1972; Chou, 1972; LaPolla, 1987); *g-ni-s (Weidert, 1987)

Alongside the root for "three" (*kV-sum), this root for "two" is one of the most lexemically and phonologically stable numerals in Sino-Tibetan languages, and lexical replacement of this etymon is excessively rare: e.g. Jingpho /ləkhôŋ/ which has not been successfully connected to anything else. The Jingpho word for "one" has a similar shape, /ləŋâi/, and is also etymologically unclear.

This root appears unmistakably cognate with *s-ni-s (“seven”). See there for more.

The Burmese form seems to suggest a proto-language velar final variant: *-ik.

Numeral

*kV-ni-s

**Proto-Sino-Tibetan numbers ^(edit)**
	20
^{[a], [b], [c], [d]} ← 1	2	3 →
Cardinal: *kV-ni-s

two

Descendants

Chinese: 二 (OC /*ni[j]-s/ (BS), “two”), 次 (OC /*[s-n̥]i[j]-s/ (BS), “second; next; the following”) (see there for further descendants)
Himalayish
- Tibeto-Kanauri
  - Proto-Bodish: *(g)nis (see there for further descendants)
rGyalrongic
- West rGyalrongic
  - Tangut: 𗍫 (*njɨ̱¹, “two”)
- East rGyalrongic
  - Situ: kəɲes
Naic
- Proto-Naish: *ŋi
  - Naxi: ni (/⁠ȵi³³⁠/), niq (/⁠ȵi²¹⁠/)
  - Narua: ni (/⁠ɲi˩˥⁠/)
  - ⇒ Laze: [Term?] (/⁠ŋi˥gv̩˥⁠/)
- Namuyi: nyî
Newaric
- Newar: ने (ne)
Boro-Garo
- Garo: gini, gining
Lolo-Burmese
- Burmish
  - Burmese: နှစ် (hnac, “two”)
- Loloish
  - Northern Loloish
    - Nuosu: ꑍ (nyip, “two”)
Proto-Karen: *k-hnejᴬ (Luangthongkum, 2013)
- S'gaw Karen: ခံ (khee)
Karbi: hini
Tujia
- Northern Tujia: [Term?] (/⁠ɲié55⁠/)
- Southern Tujia: [Term?] (/⁠lie55⁠/)
Pyu (Myanmar): kni
Kho-Bwa:
- Proto-Western Kho-Bwa: *nʲis (see there for further descendants)