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STEDT #2453

*m-l(e/ə)y

EARTH / COUNTRY / GROUND / MUD / SOIL
Proto-Tibeto-Burman

Reconstruction analysis

handlemliyprefixminitiallrhymeey ⪤ əycoverM · NLW

Intermediate reconstructions

Kuki-Chin*lay ‘EARTH / SOIL / WORLD’PKC #1013
Central Naga (Ao Group)*a-lej ‘GROUND, EARTH / FIELD’PCN #057
Tangkhulic*lej ‘EARTH’DRM#401
Karenic*miᴬ ‘WILD’TL#333

Connections

HPTB*m-ley ⪤ *m-ləy ‘earth / ground / soil / mud / country’pp. 48, 71, 81, 191, 201, 218, 464, 509

Notes

Many reflexes of this etymon are good examples of the process of “prefix pre-emption”, whereby the prefix drives out a “weak” root-initial consonant.

This root seems quite distinct from #2417 PTB *low FIELD.

Reflexes & cognates307 reflexes · 20 subgroups

0.1Tibeto-Burman (previously published reconstructions)6

*Tibeto-Burmanm-ley ⪤ m-ləy ‘earth / ground / soil / mud / country’Matisoff 03 HPTB: 599
*Tibeto-Burmanmliy ‘plain (earth)’LaPolla 87: 148
*Tibeto-Burmanmliy ‘sand-bank, bare ground’Benedict 72 STC: 152
*Tibeto-Burmanmləy ‘earth / country’Chou 72: 404j

1.2Kuki-Chin1

*Chinlay ‘EARTH / SOIL / WORLD’VanBik 09 PKC: 1013

1.2.1.1Northern Chin3

Thadolêy ‘earth’VanBik 09 PKC: 1013
Tiddimlei¹ tung¹ ‘world’VanBik 09 PKC: 1013

1.2.2Central Chin3

Lai (Falam)láy ‘earth, ground, world’VanBik 09 PKC: 1013
Lai (Hakha)vo-lây ‘earth, soil, world’VanBik 09 PKC: 1013
Lushai [Mizo]lěi ‘earth, ground, soil, mould, world’VanBik 09 PKC: 1013

1.3.1Central Naga (Ao Group)49

*Central Nagaaprefix-lej ‘GROUND, EARTH / FIELD’Bruhn 14 PCN: III.057
*Aoaprefix-li ‘GROUND, EARTH’Bruhn 14 PCN: II.349
Ao (Chungli)ajungmorpheme◦li ‘clay’Marrison 67 Naga
Ao (Chungli)a³prefix-li³ n.‘ground, earth’Bruhn 14 PCN: II.349
Ao (Chungli)aprefix◦li n‘land’Marrison 67 Naga
Ao (Chungli)aprefix◦li ‘earth’Marrison 67 Naga
Ao (Chungli)aprefix◦li ‘world’Marrison 67 Naga
Ao (Chungli)li◦semmorpheme n‘sand’Marrison 67 Naga
Ao (Chungli)li◦shimorpheme ‘mud’Marrison 67 Naga
Ao (Chungli)³aprefix³liʔ ‘ground’Weidert 87 TBTo: 219
Ao (Mongsen: Longchang)chungkumorpheme◦li ‘clay’Marrison 67 Naga
Ao (Mongsen: Longchang)li◦sammorpheme n‘sand’Marrison 67 Naga
Ao (Mongsen: Mangmetong)[a]prefix-lí ‘ground’Coupe 07 Ao: 386
Ao (Mongsen: Mangmetong)lı̀◦sə̀ʔmorpheme n.‘mud’Coupe 07 Ao
Lotha Nagao¹prefix-liʔ³ n.‘field (swidden)’Bruhn 14 PCN: III.057
Lotha Nagaōprefix◦lī ‘field’Acharya 75
Lotha Nagaōprefix◦lì ‘field’Acharya 75
Lotha Nagaoprefix◦li ‘field’Marrison 67 Naga
Lotha Nagaoprefix◦li ‘field’Murry 78: 44
Lotha Naga¹oprefix³li(ʔ) ‘field’Weidert 87 TBTo: 219
Sangtamaprefix◦li ‘earth’Kumar 73 Sang
Sangtamaprefix◦li n‘land’Marrison 67 Naga
Sangtamaprefix◦li◦yozingmorpheme ‘earthquake’Marrison 67 Naga
Sangtamli◦pimorpheme n‘sand’Marrison 67 Naga
Sangtamli◦shemorpheme ‘clay’Marrison 67 Naga
Yacham-Tengsaaprefix◦li ‘earth’Marrison 67 Naga
Yimchungrüaprefix◦lo ‘earth’Marrison 67 Naga
Yimchungrülo◦zümorpheme n‘sand’Marrison 67 Naga

1.3.2Angami-Pochuri Group4

Ntenyiamorpheme◦li ‘field’Marrison 67 Naga

1.3.4Tangkhulic9

Champhungŋamorpheme-lai ‘earth’Brown 37 Indo
Huishuʔamorpheme-nəmorpheme-lu ‘earth / ground / dry land (vs. water)’Mortensen 12 Tk: Nature.106
Kachaiŋəmorpheme-li ‘earth / ground / dry land (vs. water)’Mortensen 12 Tk: Nature.106
Tankghul (Central)ŋamorpheme-lai ‘earth’Brown 37 Indo
Tangkhul (Northern)mamorpheme-lai ‘earth’Brown 37 Indo
Tangkhul (Standard)ŋamorpheme-lai ‘earth’Brown 37 Indo
Tusomŋəmorpheme-la ‘soil’Mortensen 12 Tk: Nature.108
Ukhrulŋəmorpheme-lej ‘earth, dirt’Mortensen 12 Tk

1.5Mikir [Karbi]6

Mikir [Karbi]longmorpheme◦le n‘land’Marrison 67 Naga
Mikir [Karbi]longmorpheme◦le ‘earth’Marrison 67 Naga
Mikir [Karbi]loŋmorpheme◦lē(ʔ) ‘earth’Weidert 87 TBTo: 219
Mikir [Karbi]mili ⪤ meli ‘sand-bank, bare ground’Benedict 72 STC: 152
Mikir [Karbi]mili~meli ‘sand-bank, bare-ground’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 152
Mikir [Karbi]mili~meli ‘sand-bank, bare ground’LaPolla 87: 148

3.2Qiangic14

Ersumɛ³³li⁵⁵ ‘earth’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 17.18
Ersutʃhu⁵⁵morphemeli⁵⁵ ‘earth’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 31.18
Guiqiongmi⁵⁵tɕə⁵⁵morpheme ‘poke (a sign into earth) / insert’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1171.16
Lyuzume³³ʑu⁵³morpheme v.‘quake (earth)’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1265.18
Manyakməli~mli ‘plain (earth)’LaPolla 87: 148
Manyakməli⪤mli ‘earth’Benedict 72 STC: 152
Namuyilu̵⁵⁵ clf‘patch (of ground / field)’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0858.46
Namuyimi³³ntʂhu³¹morpheme ‘poke (a sign into earth) / insert’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1171.46
Pumi (Jiulong)nə⁵⁵sø⁵⁵morpheme ‘poke (a sign into earth) / insert’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1171.10
Pumi (Lanping)nə¹³tiɯu¹³morpheme ‘poke (a sign into earth) / insert’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1171.09
Qiang (Mawo)xləp; dzumorpheme ‘earth’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 31.8
Queyu (Xinlong)mɯ⁵⁵lɯ⁵⁵ n‘earth / ground’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0022.13
Queyu (Yajiang) [Zhaba]mɯ⁵⁵ʑi⁵⁵ ‘earth’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 17.16

3.3rGyalrongic1

Daofuʁli ɮɛmorpheme v.‘quake (earth)’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1265.12

4Nungic3

Anongməli ‘country, mountain’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 152
Anong (dialect)məli ‘country, mountain’LaPolla 87: 148
Anongməli ‘country; mountain’Benedict 72 STC: 152

6.1.1Burmish29

Burmese (Spoken Rangoon)mje²²tɕi⁵⁵morpheme ‘earth’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 17.40
Burmese (Written)mre ‘earth, ground’Benedict 76 WBur
Burmese (Written)mre ‘plain (earth)’LaPolla 87: 148
Burmese (Written)mre²kri³morpheme ‘earth’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 17.39
Danumye⁴ ‘earth’Luce 85: S.14
Hpun (Metjo)tă⁴prefixmyih¹ ‘earth’Luce 85: S.14
Hpun (Northern)tăprefix◦myí(ʔ) ‘earth’Henderson 86 Hpun
Phön (Samong)təprefix◦mli ⪤ təprefix◦myi ‘earth’Benedict 72 STC: 152
Phöntəprefix◦mli~təprefix◦myi ‘earth’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 152
Phöntəprefix◦mli~təprefix◦myi ‘earth’LaPolla 87: 148
Taung-Yomle⁴ ‘earth’Luce 85: S.14
Tavoyan dial.mle ‘plain (earth)’LaPolla 87: 148
Atsi [Zaiwa]mji³¹ tse³¹morpheme ‘earth, dirt’LaPolla 87: 114

6.1.2Loloish3

*Loloishʔ-mre¹ ‘earth’Weidert 87 TBTo: 219
*Loloishʔ-mre¹ ‘earth’Bradley 79 PLo: 323-1
*Loloishʔ-mre¹ ‘earth’Hansson 89 AHKP: 131

6.1.2.1Northern Loloish44

Gazhuom³²³ti³³morphemezɿ³⁵morpheme v.‘quake (earth)’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1265.47
Gazhuoni³¹ n‘soil / earth’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0040.47
Lalomí-dìmorpheme ‘earth / place’Björverud 94
Lalotjhímorpheme-mí ‘field / wet field’Björverud 94
Nusu (Bijiang)mɯe³⁵ɑ⁵⁵prefixliɑ³⁵morpheme ‘ground’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 28.45
Nusu (Northern)mɹi³¹dɑ³¹morpheme ‘earth / mud’Sun J 86 Nusu
Nusu (Southern)mɹi³¹ʔmiɑ̱⁵⁵morpheme ‘mud’Sun J 86 Nusu
Nusu (Bijiang)mɹi³¹ʔyɛ⁵³morphemelɛ⁵³morpheme ‘mud’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 32.45
Nusu (Southern)mɹi³⁵ ‘earth / mud’Sun J 86 Nusu
Nusu (Bijiang)mɹi³⁵mɹi³⁵ ‘earth’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 31.45
Nusu (Bijiang)mɹi³⁵ɑ⁵⁵morpheme ‘earth’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 17.45
Nusu (Northern)mɹi⁵⁵mɹi³¹ ‘dirt / soil’Sun J 86 Nusu
Nusu (Northern)mɹi⁵⁵mɹi³¹ʔue̱⁵³morphemeɹɑ³¹morpheme ‘mud’Sun J 86 Nusu
Nusu (Southern)mɹi⁵⁵mɹi³⁵ ‘dirt / soil’Sun J 86 Nusu
Nusu (Central)mɹɯ⁵⁵mɹi³³ n‘mud’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0046.34
Yi (Dafang)ȵi¹³m̩(u)⁵⁵morpheme ‘earth’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 31.22
Yi (Mile)mi³³dɯ²¹morpheme ‘earth’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 17.25
Yi (Mojiang)bɯ²¹morphememi⁵⁵ ‘ground’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 28.26
Yi (Mojiang)ne̱²¹morphememi⁵⁵ ‘earth’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 31.26
Yi (Nanhua)mi³³ n‘earth / ground’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0022.37
Yi (Nanhua)mi³³li³³morpheme v.‘quake (earth)’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1265.37
Yi (Nanhua)tɕhe³³morphememi³³ n‘paddy field’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0042.37
Yi (Nanhua)ȵi¹⁵⁵ ‘earth’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 31.24
Yi (Weishan)mi²¹ n‘earth / ground’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0022.36
Yi (Weishan)mi⁵⁵ ʔl̩³³morpheme v.‘quake (earth)’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1265.36
Yi (Weishan)ʔmi⁵⁵ti³³morpheme n‘earth / ground’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0022.36
Yi (Wuding)mi³³ n‘earth / ground’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0022.38
Yi (Wuding)mi³³tʂhe³³morpheme v.‘quake (earth)’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1265.38

6.1.2.2Central Loloish77

Jinuomi³¹tsha³³morpheme ‘earth’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 17.34
Jinuomi³¹tsha⁵⁵morpheme n‘earth / ground’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0022.44
Jinuo (Youle)m̥i⁴²tshɑ⁵⁵morpheme ‘earth’Gai 86
Jinuom̩⁴⁴ɬu⁴²morphemeɬu⁴²morpheme v.‘quake (earth)’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1265.44
Lahu (Lancang)mi³¹xi⁵⁴morpheme v.‘quake (earth)’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1265.43
Lahu (Lancang)mi³¹ɕɑ¹¹morpheme n‘soil / earth’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0040.43
Lahu (Black)mi³¹kɯ³¹morpheme ‘earth’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 17.33
Lahu (Yellow)mi² ‘earth’Chang 86
Lahu (Yellow)mi²sa²morpheme ‘dirt / soil’Chang 86
Lisu (Northern)biʔ²¹morphememi³³ ‘plot of yam, yam field’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Central)brgh⁴morpheme-jya³morpheme-mi⁴ ‘field (dry, fallow)’Fraser 22
Lisu (Northern)dza⁴⁴morphemeli²¹morphememi⁴⁴ ‘field of late ripening crops’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)dɔʔ²¹morphemetsheʔ²¹morphememi⁴⁴ ‘pea field’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)gwa²¹morphememi⁴⁴ ‘buckwheat field’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)ji³⁵morphemekhwa²¹morphememi⁴⁴ ‘wormwood field’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)ka⁵⁵morphemedʑɤʔ²¹morphememi⁴⁴ N‘dry land’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Central)ka⁵⁵morphemetɕøʔ²¹morphememi⁴⁴ N‘dry land’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)khɤ³⁵morphememi⁴⁴ N‘land reclaimed and cultivated in traditional way (with fire and knives)’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)lɔ³³morphemehɤ²¹morphememi⁴⁴ ‘sandy land’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)lɔ³³morphemekaʔ²¹morpheme laʔ²¹morphememi⁴⁴ ‘stony land’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)ma³³morphemetʃhɿ³³morphememi⁴⁴ ‘sugar cane field’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)mi²¹ N‘land; earth; place; cf. mi³³, my²¹’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)mi²¹pɤ⁵⁵morpheme lɔ³³morphemepɤ⁵⁵morpheme ‘edge of earth (legendary)’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)mi²¹pɤ⁵⁵morpheme mi³³morphemepɤ⁵⁵morpheme ‘edge of land; change in situation’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Central)mi³-ná³morpheme ‘earth’Fraser 22
Lisu (Central)mi³-ná³morpheme ‘ground’Fraser 22
Lisu (Central)mi³-ná³morpheme ‘world / earth’Fraser 22
Lisu (Central)mi³-ná³morpheme-sï⁵morpheme ‘ground-nut’Fraser 22
Lisu (Northern)mi³³ba²¹morpheme ‘land on the slope of hill; steep slope’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)mi³³ba²¹morpheme mi³³hɔ³⁵morpheme ‘land on the slope of hill; steep slope’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)mi³³næ³³morpheme ‘land; earth; surface of earth; ground’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)mi³³næ³³morpheme ɔ⁵⁵morphemekwa³³morpheme ‘in the world; on the ground’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)mi³³næ³³morpheme ʃɿ²¹morphemete³⁵morpheme ‘seven layers of earth (Lisu legend has it that there are seven layers of earth and nine layers of sky)’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)mi³³næ³³morphemekwa³³morpheme ‘in the world; on earth’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisumi̱³³nɛ̱³³morpheme n‘earth / ground’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0022.40
Lisu (Northern)mi³³sɔ²¹morphememi³³ ‘sandy field’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)mi³³tɕhæ³³morpheme ‘on the ground’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)mi³³ɔʔ²¹morphemetɔ³³morpheme ‘poor, barren land’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisumi⁴⁴nɛ⁴⁴morpheme ‘earth’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 17.27
Lisu (Northern)mɔʔ²¹morphemezu⁴⁴morphememi⁴⁴ ‘oat field’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)phu²¹#5797 PLB *pu ‘PUMPKIN / GOURD’tʃhɿ³³morpheme ji⁵⁵morphememi⁴⁴ ‘watermelon field’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisupo⁵⁵morphemeʃo⁵⁵morphememi³³ ‘field’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 27.27
Lisu (Northern)pɔ⁵⁵morphemeɕɔ⁵⁵morpheme na³³morphemekhi²¹ ‘low bank of earth between plots of irrigated field’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)pɔ⁵⁵morphemeɕɔ⁵⁵morphememi³³ ‘paddy field (= kɤ³³mi⁴⁴phu³³)’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)tshøʔ²¹morphememi⁴⁴ ‘millet field’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Central)tɕhø³³morphememi⁴⁴ ‘rice field’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Central)tɕhø³³morphememi⁴⁴phu³³morpheme ‘paddy field’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)tɕhɤ³³morphememi⁴⁴ ‘rice field’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)tɕhɤ³³morphememi⁴⁴phu³³morpheme ‘paddy field’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisutɕhɯ³³morphememi³³phu³³morpheme n‘paddy fields’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0042.40
Lisu (Northern)zu⁴⁴morphememi⁴⁴ ‘barley field’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)ɕwa³³morphememi⁴⁴ ‘wheat field’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)ʃɿ⁵⁵morphemeʃɿ³³morphememi⁴⁴ ‘field of Chinese goldthread’Bradley 94 Lisu
Yi (Sani)mɪ⁴⁴ n‘earth / ground’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0022.39
Yi (Sani)mɪ⁴⁴tɕhɪ¹¹morpheme v.‘quake (earth)’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1265.39
Yi (Sani)tæ⁴⁴morphememɪ⁴⁴ n‘paddy fields’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0042.39

6.1.2.3Southern Loloish24

Hani (Lüchun)mi⁵⁵lu³³morphemelu³³morpheme v.‘quake (earth)’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1265.41
Hani (Gelanghe)mi⁵⁵tsha³¹morpheme ‘dirt / soil’Li Yongsui 86 Hani
Hani (Mojiang)mɛ⁵⁵l̥v̱³³morpheme l̥v̱³³morpheme v.‘quake (earth)’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1265.42
Mpim²pe²morpheme ‘earth’Hansson 89 AHKP: 131
Mpim²pe²morpheme ‘earth / dirt’Srinuan 76
Mpim⁴pha⁴morphemela⁴morpheme ‘crack in the earth’Srinuan 76

7Karenic34

Cite this entry

STEDT etymon #2453, *m-l(e/ə)y ‘EARTH / COUNTRY / GROUND / MUD / SOIL’.
Stable link: https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/2453
Data: STEDT v1.0 (2017). Accessed: [date].
References: cf. STC#152, HPTB
BibTeX
@misc{stedt-2453,
  title  = {{*m-l(e/ə)y 'EARTH / COUNTRY / GROUND / MUD / SOIL'}},
  author = {STEDT},
  year   = {2017},
  note   = {Sino-Tibetan Etymological Dictionary and Thesaurus (STEDT) v1.0, etymon #2453},
  url    = {https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/2453}
}