Reconstruction:Proto-Sino-Tibetan/ku-ni(k)

• Proto-Sino-Tibetan: *nyiʔ (Coblin, 1986); *nikə (Hill, 2019); *kuni (Miyake, 2024)
  • Proto-Tibeto-Burman: *niy ~ nəy (Chou, 1972; LaPolla, 1987); *niy (Benedict, 1972; Weidert, 1987); *nəy (Matisoff, 2003); *s-nəy (STEDT)

The *ku- pre-initial appears in Kuki-Chin and Pyu.

*ku-ni(k)

1. sun
2. day

• Chinese: 日 (*C.nik (B-S); njig (ZS), “sun, day”) (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Bodish: *ni (see there for further descendants)
• Naic
  • Proto-Naish: *ŋi
    • Naxi: ni (/⁠ȵi³³⁠/)
    • Narua: ni (/⁠ɲi˥⁠/, classifier for days)
• Proto-Lolo-Burmese: *ʔnəj¹/³
  • Burmish
    • Achang: nyeih
    • Burmese: နေ (ne, “sun”), နေ့ (ne., “day”)
  • Proto-Loloish: *(ʔ)-ne¹
    • Northern Loloish
      • Yi (Liangshan): ꑍ (nyip, “day, daytime”)
    • Central Loloish
      • Lisu: ꓠꓬꓲꓺ (ɲi̱, “day”)
      • Lipo: 𖼬𖽡𖾐 (“day”)
      • Lolopo: ni (“day”)
• Proto-Karen: *nejᴬ (Luangthongkum, 2013)
  • S'gaw Karen: နံၤ (neē, “day”)
  • Western Pwo: နံၩ (“day”)
• Proto-Kuki-Chin: *nii (“sun; day”)
  • Central
    • Mizo: ni (“sun; day”)
• Manipuri: ꯅꯤ (ni)
• Pyu (Myanmar): knuy

• *sr-la (“moon”)