Reconstruction:Proto-Sino-Tibetan/mjək

• Proto-Sino-Tibetan: *(s-)myəːk (Chou, 1972), *myikw (Coblin, 1986)
  • Proto-Tibeto-Burman: *s-myak ⪤ *s-mik (Matisoff, STEDT); *(s-)myəːk (Chou, 1972); *myikw (Coblin, 1986); *mya[a]k (LaPolla, 1987)

This root shows alternation between medial *ya and *i; here, this alternation will be notated as *jə.

In some languages (e.g. Burmish, Karenic) this word also means "face", a relationship perhaps reminiscent of Vietnamese mắt (“eye”) ~ mặt (“face”).

Compare:

• Proto-Hmong-Mien *mu̯ɛjH (“eye”) (Hmong (RPA): muag)
• Proto-Austroasiatic *mat (“eye”) (Vietnamese mắt, Modern Mon မတ် (mòt))
• Proto-Austronesian *mata (“eye”) (Malay, Indonesian mata)
• Proto-Kra-Dai *maTa: (“eye”) (Baha ma⁵⁵da³²²)
• Proto-Japonic *may (“eye”) (Japanese 目)

*mjək

1. eye

• Chinese: 目 (OC *C.m(r)[u]k (B-S), “eye”) (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Bodish: *mik
  • Tibetic
    • Dzongkha: མིག་ཏོ (mig to, “eye”)
    • Tibetan: མིག (mig), དྨྱིག (dmyig)
    • Ladakhi: མིག (mig, “eye”)
  • Dakpa-Dzala
    • Dakpa: མེག (mek)
  • East Bodish
    • Bumthangkha: མེག (mek)
    • Kurtöp: མིག (mik)
• rGyalrongic
  • West rGyalrongic
    • Tangut: 𗑉 (*mej¹, “eye”)
  • East rGyalrongic
    • Situ: tə-mɲak
• Kiranti
  • Western Kiranti
    • Dumi: मीक्सी (miksi, “eye”)
  • Eastern Kiranti
    • Yamphu: मिक (mik, “eye”)
    • Yakkha: मिक (mikʌ, “eye”)
    • Athpare: मिक् (mik, “eye”)
    • Northern Lorung: मीक् (mik, “eye”)
• Boro-Garo
  • Garo: mik (“eye, vision”)
• Naic
  • Proto-Naish: *mjak
    • Naxi: mieq (/⁠mjɤ²¹⁠/)
    • Narua: nya (/⁠njæ⁠/) (only in compounds)
• Lolo-Burmese
  • Burmish
    • Achang: nyoq
    • Burmese: မျက် (myak, “eye, face, knot in wood”)
  • Loloish
    • Northern Loloish
      • Nuosu (Liangshan): ꑓ (nyuo, “eye”)
• Proto-Karen: *mɛɁᴰ (Luangthongkum, 2013)
  • S'gaw Karen: မဲာ် (meḥ, “eye; face; knot in wood”)
  • Pa'o Karen: မဲ့ (“eye; face”)
  • Western Pwo: မ့ၬ (“eye; face”)
• Proto-Kuki-Chin: *mik
  • Khomic
    • Khumi Chin:

      Lemi Chin: ämi

      Khimi Chin: ämih

  • Northern
    • Zou: mit

• *ken (“to see; to know”)
• *mV-taŋ (“to see”)
• *hjen (“to look, to see; to hear, to listen”)