Reconstruction:Proto-Sino-Tibetan/mV-kum

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:
- Proto-Tibeto-Burman:
  - *kum (Benedict, 1972; Chou, 1972)
  - *kum ⪤ m-kum ⪤ k(y)im (Matisoff, 1983)
  - *m-kum ⪤ m-kim, ʔum ⪤ kum (Matisoff, 2003)
  - *m-k(u/i)m (STEDT)

The disappearance of the velar in the Burmese word for "pillow" is unexplained. Normally it would be explained with a uvular initial, but Japhug and other rGyalrongic languages strongly militate against a uvular.

The vowel *u is occasionally and irregularly unrounded to *i in some descendant languages.

Noun

*mV-kum

pillow

Descendants

Chinese: 枕 (OC *[t.k][ə]mʔ (B-S)) (see there for further descendants)
rGyalrongic
- West rGyalrongic
  - Horpa
    - Nyagrong Minyag: ɣɔ
    - Tangut: 𘁣 (*ɣjɨj¹)
  - Khroskyabs: vɣə̂m
- East rGyalrongic
  - Japhug: tɤ-mkɯm
  - Situ: tə-mkə̂m (Brag-bar)
  - Tshobdun: o-mkom
  - Zbu: tɐ-mkôm
Naic
- ⇒ Proto-Naish: *Cko ŋgu
  - Naxi: guggee (/⁠ku³³(ŋ)ɡɯ³³⁠/)
  - Narua: woggu (/⁠ʁo˧gv̩˧⁠/)
  - Laze: [Term?] (/⁠u˧ gu˧⁠/)
Proto-Lolo-Burmese: *m-kum²
- Burmish
  - Achang: uh-khoeuq (/⁠u⁵⁵ khu⁵¹⁠/)
  - Burmese: ခုံ (hkum, “bench or similar object”), အုံး (um:, “pillow”)
  - Zaiwa: [Term?] (/⁠u²¹ khuʔ⁵⁵⁠/)
- Proto-Loloish: *m-gum²
Nungish
- ⇒ Rawang: gomvkøm
Proto-Kuki-Chin: *khum, *kham
- Central
  - Mizo: khum (“bed”), ⇒ lukham (“pillow”)
Proto-Central Naga: *m-kham
Jingpho-Asakian
- Jingpho: lahkum (“stool, chair”), mahkum (“pillow”)