Reconstruction:Proto-Sino-Tibetan/lməj

• Proto-Sino-Tibetan: ?
  • Proto-Tibeto-Burman:
    • *r-may ⪤ *m-ray, *r-mey, *m-ley ⪤ *m-li (Matisoff, STEDT)
    • *r-may (Weidert, 1987; Michailovsky, 1991; Benedict, 1972)
    • *r-may ~ mey (LaPolla, 1987)
    • *r-mǎy (Matisoff, 1985);
    • *r-mɑy (Chou, 1972)

Three separate STEDT entries exist for this etymon. The *lm sequence (preserved as such in rGyalrongic) was very unstable across Sino-Tibetan, frequently turning into *ml, *rm, and *mr.

*lməj

1. tail
2. penis

• Chinese: 尾 (OC /*məjʔ/ (B-S); /*mɯlʔ/ (ZS)) (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Bodish: *(r)me (“tail”), *mle (“penis”)
  • Tibetic
    • Tibetan: རྨེད (rmed, “tail, crupper of saddle”)
  • East Bodish
    • ⇒ Kurtöp: མི་པང (mipang)
• rGyalrongic
  • West rGyalrongic
    • Horpa
      • Tangut: 𘂴 (*mji̱j¹, “tail”), 𘚔 (*mji̱j²)
  • East rGyalrongic
    • Japhug: tɤ-jme (“tail”)
    • Situ: ta-jmî (“tail”) (Brag-bar and Cogtse)
• Naic
  • Namuyi: mä̆kŭ (“tail”)
• Proto-Lolo-Burmese: *ʔ-m(r)aj² (“tail”)
  • Burmish
    • Burmese: မြီး (mri:, “tail”), အမြီး (a.mri:, “tail, tail-end”)
  • Proto-Loloish: *ʔmri²
    • Northern Loloish
      • Yi (Liangshan): ꂪ (hmy, “tail; end”)
• Proto-Central Naga: *a-hmej (“tail”)
• Proto-Kuki-Chin: *C-maj
  • Central
    • Mizo: mei
• Proto-Karen: *meᴮ (Luangthongkum, 2013)
  • S'gaw Karen: မဲၢ် (meẖ, “tail”)
• Kho-Bwa
  • Proto-Western Kho-Bwa: *a.nʲuj

• *r-ŋa (“tail”)