Reconstruction:Proto-Sino-Tibetan/l(j)ak

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

Alternative forms

  • *l(j)aŋ

Reconstruction

  • Proto-Sino-Tibetan: *lek (Coblin, 1986)
    • Proto-Tibeto-Burman: *l(j)ak ⪤ *l(j)aŋ (Matisoff, STEDT)

This root appears to be related with Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-tjak/ŋ ~ tik/ŋ, showing a very common alternation between *d and *l. As Matisoff (2013) points out, this *l ~ *d alternation is attested in many natural languages, even outside the Sino-Tibetan language family.

Alternatively, Tibetan ལེགས་པོ (legs po, “good, beautiful”) and ཡག་པོ (yag po, “good, fine”) could come from Proto-Tibeto-Burman *lwa(ː)j (“easy”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Adjective

*l(j)ak

  1. good
  2. beautiful
  3. real
  4. straight

Adverb

*l(j)ak

  1. very
  2. really

Descendants

  • Chinese: 良 (OC *[r]aŋ (B-S)) (see there for further descendants)
  • Tani
    • Western Tani
      • Bokar: /lak/ ("good")
  • Himalayish
    • Proto-Bodish: *lek (see there for further descendants)
  • rGyalrongic
    • West rGyalrongic
      • Tangut: 𘝷 (*lia¹) (lia, /*li̯a⁵⁵/) ("beautiful")
  • Lolo-Burmese
    • Burmish
      • Achang: /liɑŋ⁵⁵pɑ⁵⁵/ ("beautiful")
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