STEDT
STEDT #2264

*m-hla

SOUL / DEMON / GOD / BEAUTIFUL

Reconstruction analysis

handlem-hlprefixminitial)hlrhymeacoverH · V

Intermediate reconstructions

Kuki-Chin*khlaa ‘SPIRIT / IMAGE / SHADOW (n.) / SOUL’PKC #1300
Tangkhulic*hla ‘SHADOW / SPIRIT / SOUL’DRM#730

Connections

HPTB*m-hla ‘god / soul / beautiful’pp. 162, 172

Notes

This root has been reconstructed with a nasal prefix at the PTB level, but many languages have fully vocalized disyllabic compounds where the initial syllable begins with a nasal (cf. Jingpho min, Tangkhul maŋ, Proto-Ao hməy). It is thus natural to assume that this first element represented a separate morpheme which was subsequently “prefixized.” It is possible that this morpheme was actually #17 PTB *s-maŋ BODY / CORPSE.

Reflexes & cognates185 reflexes · 24 subgroups

0.1Tibeto-Burman (previously published reconstructions)4

*Tibeto-Burman(m-)hla ‘soul, demon, god’Benedict 72 STC: 475
*Tibeto-Burman(smorpheme-)(gmorpheme-)laᴬ ‘soul’French 83: 555
*Tibeto-Burmanm-hla ‘god / soul / beautiful’Matisoff 03 HPTB: 593

1.2Kuki-Chin1

*Chinkhlaa n‘SPIRIT / IMAGE / SHADOW / SOUL’VanBik 09 PKC: 1300

1.2.1.1Northern Chin4

Sizanghtīmorpheme htā ‘ghost’VanBik 09 PKC: 1300
Thadohláa ‘spirit, ghost’VanBik 09 PKC: 1300
Tiddimkhaː² ‘soul’VanBik 09 PKC: 1300

1.2.1.2Southern Plains Chin3

Ashokʻló n‘spirit, soul, ghost’VanBik 09 PKC: 1300
Cho (Mindat)mmorpheme-cha ‘soul, shadow, image’VanBik 09 PKC: 1300
Khumiphaymorphemelóo ‘soul’VanBik 09 PKC: 1300

1.2.2Central Chin9

Lai (Hakha)thlǎa ‘spirit, soul, shadow, image’VanBik 09 PKC: 1300
Lushai [Mizo]thláa ‘spirit, one's double, the spirit or soul of a man’VanBik 09 PKC: 1300
Lushai [Mizo]thlaraumorpheme ‘spirit’Marrison 67 Naga
Lushai [Mizo]thlarumorpheme ‘soul’Marrison 67 Naga
Paangkhuaramorphemetlháa ‘ghost’Løffler 85 Paa

1.2.3Maraic1

Lakher [Mara]thlà ‘spirit, soul’VanBik 09 PKC: 1300

1.3.1Central Naga (Ao Group)10

*Aotprefix-(aprefix-)hməj-la ‘SHADOW / SOUL’Bruhn 14 PCN: II.228
Ao (Chungli)ta²prefix-nə²la² n.‘shadow (animate) / spirit, soul’Bruhn 14 PCN: II.228
Ao (Chungli)taprefixnela ‘soul’Marrison 67 Naga
Ao (Chungli)taprefixnela n‘shadow’Marrison 67 Naga
Ao (Chungli)²taprefix²nɯ²la ‘shadow’Weidert 87 TBTo: 876
Ao (Mongsen: Longchang)taprefixnela ‘soul’Marrison 67 Naga
Ao (Mongsen: Longchang)prefixmila n‘shadow’Marrison 67 Naga
Ao (Mongsen: Mangmetong)[a]prefix-khu?-hmila n.‘were-tiger, lycanthropist ('tiger' + 'soul')’Coupe 07 Ao
Ao (Mongsen: Mangmetong)[tə]prefix-hmila n.‘shadow, reflection’Coupe 07 Ao
Ao (Mongsen: Mangmetong)[tə]prefix-hmila n.‘soul’Coupe 07 Ao

1.3.4Tangkhulic9

*Tangkhulichla ‘shadow / spirit / soul’Mortensen 12 Tk: 730
Kachaimorpheme-lo ‘shadow’Mortensen 12 Tk
Tangkhulmangla ‘soul’Marrison 67 Naga
Tangkhulmangla ‘spirit’Marrison 67 Naga
Tangkhulmaŋ-la ‘god’LaPolla 87: 131
Tusomkomorpheme-ɬi ‘shadow’Mortensen 12 Tk: Nature.004
Tusomkomorpheme-ɬi ‘shadow’Mortensen 12 Tk: People.089
Ukhrulkumorpheme-la ‘shadow’Mortensen 12 Tk
Ukhrulmɐŋ-la ‘spirit / soul’Mortensen 12 Tk

1.7.3.1Jingpho6

Jingphomīn-lā ‘ghost’Matisoff 74 TJLB: 137
Jingphomin-la~num-la ‘ghost, spirit’LaPolla 87: 131
Jingphonūm-lā ‘spirit / image’Matisoff 74 TJLB: 137
Jingphonum³¹la³³ n‘soul / spirit’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0673.19
Jingphonum³¹la³³ ‘soul / spirit’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 524.47
Jingphosùm-lā ‘picture’Matisoff 74 TJLB: 137

2.1.2.1Tibetan13

Tibetan (Lhasa)ɬa⁵³ ‘god / deity’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 521.2
Tibetan (Lhasa)ɬa⁵⁵lu⁵⁵loanword n‘god of rain / Dragon King’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0671.02
Tibetan (Written)hla ‘god, image of a god’Matisoff 74 TJLB: 137

2.3.2Southern Kiranti2

Bantawalawa ‘spirit / soul’Rai 85 BnDs
Chamlinglawa ‘dead soul’Winter 85: 22

3.1Tangut6

Tangut [Xixia]śji ‘celestial being, immortal, god, fairy’Li 97 Tangut: 4860
Tangut [Xixia]śjịj ‘ghost, spirit’Li 97 Tangut: 1161
Tangut [Xixia]sjwi ‘unreal/imagined image’Li 97 Tangut: 3931
Tangut [Xixia]sjwɨ ‘ghost, evil spirit’Li 97 Tangut: 0926

3.2Qiangic21

Ersurɑ⁵⁵rɑ⁵⁵ ‘soul / spirit’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 524.18
Ersuɬɑ³³ ‘god / deity’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 521.18
Guiqionglø⁵³ ‘soul / spirit’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 524.17
Guiqiongɬø⁵³ ‘god / deity’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 521.17
Lyuzuɣɯʴ³³morphemelæ⁵³ n‘soul / spirit’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0673.18
Muyalæ²⁴ n‘soul / spirit’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0673.15
Muya [Minyak]lɛ⁵³ ‘god / deity’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 521.15
Muya [Minyak]lɛ⁵³ ‘soul / spirit’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 524.15
Namuyiəʴ⁵⁵morphemeɬi³³ ‘soul / spirit’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 524.19
Namuyiɬɛ³³ ‘god / deity’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 521.19
Namuyiəʴ⁵⁵morphemeɬi³¹ n‘soul / spirit’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0673.46
Pumi (Taoba)ɬa⁵³ ‘spirit’Lu 83 Pumi
Pumi (Taoba)ɬa⁵³ ‘god / deity’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 521.10
Qiang (Mawo)prefix n‘soul / spirit’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0673.08
Qiang (Mawo)xluʂmorpheme ‘ghost’Sun H 81 Qia
Qiang (Mawo)χluʂmorpheme ‘ghost / demon’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 523.8
Queyu (Yajiang) [Zhaba]ɬẽ⁵⁵dmorpheme/ʐi⁵³ ‘ghost / demon’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 523.16
Queyu (Xinlong)ɬy⁵⁵ n‘ghost / spirit’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0669.13
Xumigie³³morphemeɬɑ³⁵ ‘god / deity’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 521.20
Xumiɬɛ³⁵ n‘soul / spirit’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0673.17

3.3.1rGyalrong27

Caodengɬe ‘god’Sun J 97 Cao
rGyalrongɬɐ ‘god / deity’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 521.12
rGyalrong (Maerkang)ɬɐ ndʐəmorpheme n‘ghost / spirit’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0669.11
rGyalrongɬɐ ndʐəmorpheme ‘ghost / demon’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 523.12
rGBenzhenhlɐ ‘god’Sun J 97 rGB
rGBenzhenlɦɐ-ndʐəmorpheme ‘ghost’Sun J 97 rGB
rGBenzhenprefix-hlɐ ‘soul’Sun J 97 rGB

4Nungic3

Anongphəla ‘god’LaPolla 87: 131
Nungphɯ³¹lɑ³¹ n‘soul / spirit’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0673.21
Anongphɯ³¹lɑ³¹ ‘soul / spirit’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 524.44

6.1Lolo-Burmese3

*Lolo-Burmeses/ʔ-la³ ‘soul / spirit’Matisoff 03 HPTB: 599

6.1.2Loloish1

*Loloishʔprefix-la¹ ‘soul’Bradley 79 PLo: 362

6.1.2.1Northern Loloish17

Lalomàqmorpheme-morpheme--morpheme ‘soul’Björverud 94
Nusu (Central)ia³¹morpheme l̥ia³³ ‘spirit / soul’Dai 89 NusB: 954.
Nusu (Central)ia³¹morphemel̥ia³³ n‘soul / spirit’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0673.34
Nusu (Southern)iɑ³¹morpheme ɬɔ³⁵ ‘soul’Sun J 86 Nusu
Nusu (Central/Zhizhiluo)iɔ̱³¹morpheme l̥a³⁵ ‘spirit / soul’Dai 89 NusA: 954.
Nusu (Central)iɔ⁵³morpheme ɬɑ³⁵ ‘soul’Sun J 86 Nusu
Nusu (Bijiang)iɔ⁵³morphemeɬɑ³⁵ ‘soul / spirit’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 524.45
Nusu (Northern)liɔ³¹morpheme ɬia³¹ ‘soul’Sun J 86 Nusu
Nusu (Northern)ɬɑ⁵⁵ ‘beautiful’Sun J 86 Nusu
Yi (Liangshan)ʑɿ̱³³morphemeɬa³³ ‘ghost; soul; spirit’Ma 08 Yi: index
Yi (Mile)i³³morphemeɬo³³zo²¹morpheme ‘soul / spirit’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 524.25
Yi (Mojiang)xo²¹mo²¹morpheme ‘soul / spirit’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 524.26
Yi (Weishan)hɑ⁵⁵ n‘soul / spirit’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0673.36
Yi (Xide)zɿ̄³³morphemeɬa³³ ‘soul / spirit’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 524.21
Yi (Xide)ʑɿ̄³³morpheme-ɬa³³ ‘soul’Chen 79 YiCh
Yi (Xide)ʑɿ̄³³morphemeɬɑ³³ n‘soul / spirit’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0673.35

6.1.2.2Central Loloish26

Jinuo (Baya/Banai)a⁴⁴morpheme sa⁵⁵morpheme a³³morpheme ɬɔ⁴⁴ ‘spirit / soul’Dai 89 JinA: 975
Jinuoa⁴⁴morphemesa⁴⁴morphemea⁴⁴morphemeɬɔ⁴⁴ n‘soul / spirit’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0673.44
Lahu (Lancang)ɔ³¹prefixxɑ³³ku³³morpheme n‘soul / spirit’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0673.43
Lahu (Black)chɔmorpheme-ha n.‘human soul / human likeness (doll, statue, etc.)’Matisoff 88 DL: 549
Lahu (Black)ɔ³¹prefixxᴀ³³ku³³morpheme ‘soul / spirit’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 524.33
Lisu (Northern)hã³³khu³³morpheme ‘call the soul; call back the spirit of the dead’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)hã³³ma³³morphemevu⁵⁵morpheme ‘first soul (in Lisu belief’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)hã³³ru³³morpheme ‘catch the spirit’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisuhɑ³³ ‘soul / spirit’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 524.27
Lisu (Northern)ni³⁵morphemehæ̃³⁵ mja³³morphemehæ̃³⁵ ‘enterprising spirit’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)ni³⁵morphemela³³morpheme hã³³phɔ³³morpheme ‘soul-stirring’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)ni³⁵morphemely³³morpheme hã³³phɔ³³morpheme ‘soul-stirring’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)si²¹morphemeɕæ³³morpheme ma³³morphemehã³³ ‘supernatural being; holy spirit’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisutsho³³morphemehɑ̱̃³³ n‘soul / spirit’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0673.40
Lisu (Northern)tshɔ³³morphemehã³³ ‘soul’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)tshɔ³³morphemehã³³fu³³morpheme ‘green-headed snake (lit. 'soul-snake')’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Nujiang)tsʰo̱⁴⁴morpheme hɑ³³ ‘soul’Xu 86 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)ʃɿ³³morphemehã³³ ‘soul’Bradley 94 Lisu
Sani [Nyi]ji⁴⁴morpheme ɬɑ³³ ‘soul’Ma 89 SanQ: 339.2
Yi (Sani)jɪ⁴⁴morphemeɬɒ³³ n‘soul / spirit’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0673.39
Yi (Sani)tsho³³morphemeɬɒ³³ n‘ghost / spirit’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0669.39
Sani [Nyi]ɬɒ³³ ‘spirit’Wu 84

6.1.2.3Southern Loloish10

Akha (Yunnan)shàmorpheme ‘soul’Hansson 89 AHKP: 173
Akha (Yunnan)shḿmorpheme ‘soul’Hansson 89 AHKP: 173
Akha (Thai)shúmorpheme- ‘soul’Hansson 89 AHKP: 173
Hani (Lüchun)sjhúmorpheme ‘soul’Hansson 89 AHKP: 173
Hani (Dazhai)su⁵⁵morphemela⁵⁵ ‘soul / spirit’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 524.31
Hani (Lüchun)su⁵⁵morphemela⁵⁵ n‘soul / spirit’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0673.41
Hani (Pijo)àmorpheme ‘soul’Hansson 89 AHKP: 173
Hani (Caiyuan)a³¹morphemela⁵⁵ ‘soul / spirit’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 524.30
Hani (Wordlist)sulmorphemelal ‘soul’Hansson 89 AHKP: 173
Hani (Shuikui)ɔ⁵⁵morphemel̥ɔ⁵⁵ ‘soul / spirit’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 524.32

6.1.2.4Southeastern Loloish1

Pholaʑi³³morphemelɑ⁵⁵ ‘soul’Pelkey 11 Phula: 557

Cite this entry

STEDT etymon #2264, *m-hla ‘SOUL / DEMON / GOD / BEAUTIFUL’.
Stable link: https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/2264
Data: STEDT v1.0 (2017). Accessed: [date].
References: cf. STC#475, HPTB pp.162, 172
BibTeX
@misc{stedt-2264,
  title  = {{*m-hla 'SOUL / DEMON / GOD / BEAUTIFUL'}},
  author = {STEDT},
  year   = {2017},
  note   = {Sino-Tibetan Etymological Dictionary and Thesaurus (STEDT) v1.0, etymon #2264},
  url    = {https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/2264}
}