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STEDT #1621

*n(y)u

FEMALE / MOTHER
Proto-Tibeto-Burman

Reconstruction analysis

handlenuinitialnrhymeucoverM · V

Intermediate reconstructions

Tani*nə ‘MOTHER’JS-HCST: 114
Kuki-Chin(a) *nuu ‘FEMALE’PKC #814
Kuki-Chin(b) *nuu ‘MOTHER’PKC #820
Kuki-Chin(c) *nu-ŋaak ⪤ *ŋaak-nuu ‘MAIDEN / BELLE / WOMAN (unmarried)’PKC #818
Northern Naga/Konyakian*ɲəːw ‘BIG / MOTHER’from WTF-PNN:458

Connections

HPTB*n(y)u ‘mother’p. 540

Notes

This root has frequently grammaticalized as a suffix in nouns denoting large or important objects. See Matisoff 1991, “The mother of all morphemes”.

The present root seems to overlap somewhat with #5595 PTB *nya-ŋ/k WOMAN and #1623 PTB *k/m-na MOTHER / FEMALE, and further microlinguistic work will be necessary to separate them out.

Reflexes & cognates262 reflexes · 15 subgroups

0.1Tibeto-Burman (previously published reconstructions)1

1.1.1Tani1

*Taninə ‘mother’Sun J 93 HCST: 262

1.1.1.1Western Tani172

Apataniaprefix-nə ‘mother’Sun J 93 HCST
Apataniaprefix-nə ‘mother’Sun J 93 Tani
Apataniaprefix-nə ‘woman’Sun J 93 Tani
Apataniaprefix-nə aprefix-kʰrjamorpheme ‘old woman’Sun J 93 Tani
Apataniaprefix-nə aprefix-kʰrjamorpheme ‘woman (old)’Sun J 93 Tani
Apataniàprefix-nɯ ‘mother’Sun J 93 Tani
Apataniàprefix-nɯ àprefix-bamorpheme ‘parents’Sun J 93 Tani
Apataniàprefix-nɯ àprefix-xamorpheme ‘old woman’Sun J 93 Tani
Apataniàprefix-nɯ-čimorpheme ‘stepmother’Sun J 93 Tani
Apataniàprefix-nɯ-ǰamorpheme ‘great-grandmother’Sun J 93 Tani
Apatanimenmorpheme-dɯʔmorpheme dɯʔmorpheme-nə ‘buffalo, female’Sun J 93 Tani
Apatanimimorpheme-nə ‘cat, female’Sun J 93 Tani
Bengniaprefix-nɯː ‘mother’Sun J 93 HCST
Bengniaprefix-nɯː ‘mother’Sun J 93 Tani
Bengniaprefix-nɯː čiːmorpheme ‘stepmother’Sun J 93 Tani
Bengnilimorpheme-nɯː ‘cat (female)’Sun J 93 Tani
Bengninɯ-bɯŋmorpheme ‘wet nurse’Sun J 93 Tani
Bengnisimorpheme-nɯː ‘dzo (female)’Sun J 93 Tani
Bengnitɯːmorpheme-nɯː ‘quail (female)’Sun J 93 Tani
Bokaraprefix nə n‘mother’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0219.24
Bokaraprefix nə nə ɕomorpheme n‘aunt <wife of father's elder brother>’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0231.24
Bokaraprefix nə nə ɕomorpheme n‘aunt <wife of father's younger brother>’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0233.24
Bokaraprefix nə nə ɕomorpheme n‘stepmother’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0249.24
Bokaraprefix-nə ‘mother’Sun J 93 HCST
Bokaraprefix-nə ‘mother’Sun J 93 Tani
Bokaraprefix-nə nə-somorpheme ‘stepmother’Sun J 93 Tani
Bokarbumorpheme-nə ‘yak (female)’Sun J 93 Tani
Bokarbɯmorpheme nə n‘yak (female)’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0257.24
Bokarñammorpheme-nə ‘bride’Sun J 93 Tani
Bokarnə ɕomorpheme n‘stepmother’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0249.24
Bokarnə-somorpheme ‘mother's sister’Sun J 93 Tani
Bokarpakmorpheme-nə ‘slave (female)’Sun J 93 Tani
Bokarȵammorpheme nə n‘sister-in-law <elder brother's’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0237.24
Bokar Lhobaaprefix nə ‘mother’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 320.51
Galo`aprefix◦nə n.‘female’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`aprefix◦nə n:kin.‘mother’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`aprefix◦nə-aprefix◦bomorpheme n:kin.‘ancestors (recent)’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`aprefix◦nə-aprefix◦bomorpheme n:kin.‘forebears’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`aprefix◦nə-aprefix◦bomorpheme n:kin.‘parents’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`aprefix◦nə-aprefix◦bomorpheme n:kin.‘predecessors’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`aprefix◦nə-gɨɨtuumorpheme n.‘leaning pillar (women's)’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`aprefix◦nə-ɲindummorpheme n:poet.‘mother’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`bərmorpheme◦nə n:kin.‘sister-in-law’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`bəmorpheme◦nə n.‘main road’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`bəmorpheme◦nə n.‘road (main)’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`bəmorpheme◦nə n.‘trunk road’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`cərmorpheme◦nə n.‘doe’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`cəəmorpheme◦nə n.‘thumb’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`hinmorpheme◦nə n.‘red jungle fowl hen’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`homorpheme◦nə n.‘mithun cow’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`jɨgmorpheme◦nə n.‘buffalo cow’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`kinmorpheme◦nə n:kin.‘child's spouse's mother’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`ləmorpheme◦nə n.‘big toe’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`ləmorpheme◦nə n.‘toe (big)’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`nə◦bukmorpheme n.‘calf (female, adolescent)’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`nə◦dəəmorpheme n:kin.‘brother's wife (fourth)’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`nə◦iimorpheme n:kin.‘brother's wife (last)’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`nə◦iimorpheme n:kin.‘wife (brother's, last)’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`nə◦jɨrmorpheme n.‘calf (female, young)’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`nə◦koomorpheme n:kin.‘brother's wife (third)’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`nə◦roomorpheme n:kin.‘brother's wife (second)’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`pagmorpheme◦nə n.‘slave (female)’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`rɨgmorpheme◦nə n:kin.‘wife's sister’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`təmorpheme◦nə n.‘elephant cow’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`əmorpheme◦nə n.‘cattle cow’GLDC 09 Galo
Galo`əmorpheme◦nə n.‘cow’GLDC 09 Galo
Galoaprefix◦nɤ ‘mother’Das Gupta 63 Gal
Galoduːmorpheme◦ne ‘bride’Das Gupta 63 Gal
Galokurimorpheme rimorpheme-nɤ ‘pussy cat’Das Gupta 63 Gal
Galomimorpheme◦ɟikmorpheme-ɟikmorpheme-nɤ ‘buffalo cow’Das Gupta 63 Gal
Galopaŋmorpheme-nɤ ‘slave (female)’Das Gupta 63 Gal
Galosotemorpheme temorpheme-nɤ ‘tusker’Das Gupta 63 Gal
Galosomorpheme◦bɤmorpheme somorpheme◦nɤ ‘mithun cow’Das Gupta 63 Gal
Galosomorpheme◦nɤ nemorpheme◦ɟirːmorpheme ‘mithun calf (female)’Das Gupta 63 Gal
Miri, Hillaprefix◦ne ‘mother’Simon 76 Miri
Miri, Hillaprefix◦nɤ ‘mother’Simon 76 Miri
Miri, Hilldɯŋmorpheme-nɤ ‘female buffalo’Simon 76 Miri
Miri, Hilleprefix◦rek#6019 PTani *rjek ‘PIG’-hemorpheme◦ne ‘sow’Simon 76 Miri
Miri, Hillhemorpheme-nɤ ‘cow’Simon 76 Miri
Miri, Hillhɤmorpheme-nɤ ‘sow’Simon 76 Miri
Miri, Hillreŋmorpheme-nɤ ‘maternal aunt’Simon 76 Miri
Miri, Hillsomorpheme-nɤ ‘cow mithun’Simon 76 Miri
Miri, Hillŋinmorpheme-nɤ ‘fruit’Simon 76 Miri
Nishingaprefix◦ne ‘mother’Das Gupta 69 Daf
Nishingaprefix◦né ‘mother’Das Gupta 69 Daf
Nishingaprefix◦né-sikmorpheme ‘grandmother’Das Gupta 69 Daf
Nishinghengmorpheme-né ‘sow’Das Gupta 69 Daf
Nishingsémorpheme hemorpheme◦né ‘cow’Das Gupta 69 Daf
Nishingsemorpheme-né ‘cow (mithun)’Das Gupta 69 Daf
Taginaprefix◦nɤ ‘mother’Das Gupta 83 Tag
Tagindoŋmorpheme◦nɤ kumorpheme ‘nephew / sister's son’Das Gupta 83 Tag
Taginpapummorpheme◦gɤmorpheme◦ne ‘bride’Das Gupta 83 Tag

1.1.1.2Eastern Tani23

Padam [Abor]anprefix-nə ‘mother’Sun J 93 HCST
Damu(ʔaprefix-jimorpheme) ʔaprefix-niː ‘father's brother's wife’Sun J 93 Tani
Damunə-muŋmorpheme ‘hen (young)’Sun J 93 Tani
Damuxəːmorpheme-nə ‘female’Sun J 93 Tani
Damuȵammorpheme-nə ʔamorpheme ‘marry (a wife)’Sun J 93 Tani
Damuȵammorpheme-nə ʔinmorpheme-nimorpheme ‘marry (daughter)’Sun J 93 Tani
Damuɕomorpheme nə ‘milch cow’Sun J 93 Tani
Damuʔaprefix-niː ‘father's elder brother's wife’Sun J 93 Tani
Damuʔaprefix-niː ‘husband's mother’Sun J 93 Tani
Damuʔaprefix-niː ‘mother's brother's wife’Sun J 93 Tani
Damuʔaprefix-niː ‘wife's mother’Sun J 93 Tani
Mishing [Miri]aprefix-nə, namorpheme-nə ‘mother’Sun J 93 HCST

1.1.2Deng5

Yidunɑ⁵⁵bɑ⁵⁵morphemeɑ³¹morpheme n‘uncle <mother's sister's husband>’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0240.25
Yidunɑ⁵⁵jɑ⁵⁵morpheme n‘grandmother’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0217.25
Yidunɑ⁵⁵ni⁵⁵morpheme n‘mother’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0219.25
Yiduɑ³¹prefixnɑ⁵⁵ɑ³¹morpheme n‘aunt <mother's brother's wife>’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0239.25
Yiduɑ³¹prefixnɑ⁵⁵ɑ³¹morpheme n‘aunt <mother's sister>’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0241.25

1.2.3Maraic2

Lakher [Mara]chā-nō ‘woman, female’VanBik 09 PKC: 814

1.2.4“Old Kuki”2

Kom Remnù-ŋàakmorpheme ‘girl’Weidert 87 TBTo: 152
Kom Remnu◦m̥eimorpheme ‘female’Toba 91 KRQ: 10.4

1.7.2Northern Naga/Konyakian1

*Northern Nagaɲəːw ‘mother’French 83: 523

1.7.2.2Konyak-Chang34

Changaprefix◦nyu ‘mother’Marrison 67 Naga
Changthumorpheme ñu ‘elephant’French 83: 458
Changthumorpheme◦nyü ‘elephant’Marrison 67 Naga
Changtʰu[n]morpheme ñu ‘elephant’French 83: 524
Phombʌ⁵⁵morphemeñɯ³³bɯm³¹morpheme ‘trunk (of tree) ('tree'+'mother'+?)’Burling 98 Phom
Phomnyü ‘mother’Marrison 67 Naga
Phomñæʔ³³morphemeñɯ³³ ‘bee’Burling 98 Phom
Phomñɯ³³ ‘mother’Burling 98 Phom
Phomñɯ³³hæ⁵⁵morpheme ‘woman’Burling 98 Phom
Phomñɯ³³hæ⁵⁵morphemenaɯ⁵⁵suffix ‘girl’Burling 98 Phom
Phomʒam⁵⁵morphemeñɯ³³ ‘widow’Burling 98 Phom
Phomʒɯ³¹morphemeñɯ³³ ‘old woman’Burling 98 Phom

2.3.4Western Kiranti1

Hayunu-nu ‘woman / lady / girl’Chou 72: 94a-e

Cite this entry

STEDT etymon #1621, *n(y)u ‘FEMALE / MOTHER’.
Stable link: https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/1621
Data: STEDT v1.0 (2017). Accessed: [date].
References: incl 3077
BibTeX
@misc{stedt-1621,
  title  = {{*n(y)u 'FEMALE / MOTHER'}},
  author = {STEDT},
  year   = {2017},
  note   = {Sino-Tibetan Etymological Dictionary and Thesaurus (STEDT) v1.0, etymon #1621},
  url    = {https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/1621}
}