Skip to content

STEDT

Adjectival Verbs › Adjectives and attributives › Human qualities and appearance

STEDT #2457

*mway

BEAUTIFUL / PERFECTLY / WELL

Proto-Tibeto-Burman

Reconstruction analysis

handlemoyinitialmrhymeoycoverM · W

Intermediate reconstructions

Kuki-Chin*mooy ‘BEAUTIFUL / APPROPRIATE’PKC #751

Connections

HPTB*moy ‘beautiful / perfectly’pp. 220, 228

Notes

The present analysis combines two roots set up separately in STC: *may #300 ‘good, well’ and *moy #304 ‘beautiful’.

Chinese comparandum

美 OC *mi̯ər, GSR #568a-c ‘beautiful’; B & S 2011: *mrəjʔ {[m]rəjʔ}; Mand. měi.

Reflexes & cognates71 reflexes · 14 subgroups

0.1Tibeto-Burman (previously published reconstructions)8

*Tibeto-Burmanmay ‘beautiful’Chou 72: 568a-c

*Tibeto-Burmanmay ‘good / well’Benedict 72 STC: 300

*Tibeto-Burmanmaːy ‘good’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 065

*Tibeto-Burmanmaːy ‘good / well’Matisoff 03 HPTB: 601

*Tibeto-Burmanmoy ‘beautiful’Chou 72: 568a-c

*Tibeto-Burmanmoy ‘beautiful’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 081

*Tibeto-Burmanmoy ‘beautiful / perfectly’Matisoff 03 HPTB: 602

*Tibeto-Burmanmoy ‘beautiful’Benedict 72 STC: 304

1.2Kuki-Chin1

*Chinmooy ‘BEAUTIFUL / APPROPRIATE’VanBik 09 PKC: 751

1.2.1.1Northern Chin1

Tiddimmoi² ‘young and tender ("who are considered beautiful")’VanBik 09 PKC: 751

1.2.2Central Chin8

Lai (Falam)mǒoy-I, mòoy-II ‘beautiful, pretty’VanBik 09 PKC: 751

Laizomóoy ‘beautiful’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 081

Laizomǒoy ‘beautiful’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 081

Lushai [Mizo]maih be v.‘in good condition; plump, well-favored’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 065

Lushai [Mizo]mawi ‘beautiful’Marrison 67 Naga

Lushai [Mizo]mawi ‘good’Marrison 67 Naga

Lushai [Mizo]máwi ‘beautiful, pretty, lovely, nice, approriate, proper’VanBik 09 PKC: 751

Lushai [Mizo]moi ‘pretty, beautiful’Benedict 72 STC: 304

1.5Mikir [Karbi]5

Mikir [Karbi]me ‘good’Marrison 67 Naga

Mikir [Karbi]me ‘good, well’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 065

Mikir [Karbi]me ‘good, well’Benedict 72 STC: 300

Mikir [Karbi]me◦senmorpheme ‘beautiful’Marrison 67 Naga

Mikir [Karbi]me◦senmorpheme ‘well (adv)’Marrison 67 Naga

1.7.1.1Bodo7

Bodo-may ‘V properly’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 065

Bodoray#1753 PTB *s-br(w)a(ŋ/k) ‘SPEAK’PKC *ɓia-I, ɓiak-II ‘TALK TO / WORSHIP’-may ‘speak properly’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 065

Bodoraysumorpheme◦məy ‘beautiful’Bhat 68 Boro

Bodosomorpheme-may be v.‘beautiful’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 065

Bodosomorpheme◦may v‘match; beautiful’Bhat 68 Boro

Bodosomorpheme◦may◦namorpheme ‘beautiful’Bhat 68 Boro

Bodoza#36 PTB *m-dz(y)a-k/n/t/s ‘EAT / FOOD / FEED / RICE’PKC *θaʔ ‘FEED’PCN *tsaʔ ‘EAT’PCN *a-tsa-k ‘RICE (paddy)’PTk *tsa ‘EAT’PTk *tsaat ‘RICE (COOKED)’-may ‘eat properly’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 065

1.7.2Northern Naga/Konyakian2

*Northern Nagamaːy ‘good’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 065

*Northern Nagamaːy ‘good’French 83: 496

1.7.2.2Konyak-Chang19

Changchüglamorpheme-mai◦bümorpheme ‘beautiful’Marrison 67 Naga

Changmai-bumorpheme ‘good’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 065

Changmai◦bümorpheme ‘good’Marrison 67 Naga

Konyakamorpheme◦mei ‘ugly’Marrison 67 Naga

Konyakmei-pumorpheme ‘good’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 065

Konyakmei◦angmorpheme ‘bad’Marrison 67 Naga

Konyakmei◦pumorpheme ‘good’Marrison 67 Naga

Konyakshimorpheme◦mei◦pumorpheme ‘beautiful’Marrison 67 Naga

Konyakyimorpheme◦mei ‘bad’Marrison 67 Naga

Phommei-pəmorpheme ‘good’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 065

Phommei◦pümorpheme ‘good’Marrison 67 Naga

Phommʌy⁵⁵ ‘good’Burling 98 Phom

Phomnemorpheme◦mei◦pümorpheme ‘bad’Marrison 67 Naga

Phomnɛ³³morphememʌy⁵⁵ ‘bad’Burling 98 Phom

Phomthemorpheme◦mei◦shipümorpheme ‘beautiful’Marrison 67 Naga

Phomŋʌ³¹morphememʌy⁵⁵ ‘smell good ('breathe'+'good')’Burling 98 Phom

Phomʃam⁵⁵#1612 PTB *k-y(i/u)m ‘HOUSE’PKC *ʔim ‘HOUSE’PCN *a-jam ‘HOUSE / VILLAGE’PTk *ʃim ‘HOUSE’TGTM *ᴮdim ‘HOUSE’PLB *yim¹ ‘HOUSE’PL *yim¹ ‘HOUSE’PKar *hyi[m] ‘HOUSE’mʌy⁵⁵ ‘rich / wealthy ('house'+'good')’Burling 98 Phom

Wanchomai ‘good’Marrison 67 Naga

Wanchomai ‘good’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 065

1.7.3.1Jingpho6

Jingphomai ‘good’Marrison 67 Naga

Jingphomāi ‘god, pleasing’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 065

Jingphomai ‘good, well’Benedict 72 STC: 300

Jingphomai³³ ‘well-behaved / lovable (child)’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1114.19

Jingphomoi ‘perfectly, beautifully’Benedict 72 STC: 304

Jingphošəmorpheme◦māi ‘cure, heal’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 065

1.7.3.2Asakian1

Sakmí vi‘good’Huziwara 08 Sak: 344

4Nungic2

Anongmɛ ‘good, well’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 065

Anongmɛ ‘good, well’Benedict 72 STC: 300

6.1.2.1Northern Loloish4

Yi (Nanjian)me²¹ ‘beautiful’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 847.23

Yi (Nanjian)me²¹ ‘good’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 860.23

Yi (Weishan)mᴇ²¹ ‘good’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1052.36

Yi (Weishan)mᴇ²¹ ‘beautiful’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1060.36

6.1.2.3Southern Loloish16

Akha (Yunnan)jɔmorpheme mỳ ‘good’Hansson 89 AHKP: 318

Akha (Thai)mỳ ‘good’Hansson 89 AHKP: 318

Akhamỳ ‘good’Hansson 89 AHKP: 381

Akhamỳ ‘good, beautiful’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 065

Hani (Lüchun)mỳ ‘good’Hansson 89 AHKP: 318

Hani (Dazhai)mɯ³¹ ‘good’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 860.31

Hani (Lüchun)mɯ³¹ ‘good’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1052.41

Hani (Gelanghe)mɯ³¹ ‘good’Li Yongsui 86 Hani

Hani (Wordlist)meeq ‘good’Hansson 89 AHKP: 318

Hani (Shuikui)mɯ³¹ ‘good’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 860.32

Hani (Mojiang)mɯ³¹ ‘good’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1052.42

Mpimɯ¹ ‘good’Hansson 89 AHKP: 381

Mpimɯ¹ ‘good’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 065

Mpimɯ¹ ‘good’Srinuan 76

Silama21#2436 PTB *ma ‘(NEGATIVE)’PCN *maʔ ‘NO (REFUSAL)’ mɯ21 ‘bad’Kato 08 Lao: 259

Silamɯ21 ‘good’Kato 08 Lao: 258

9.0.1Old Chinese2

Chinese (Old/Mid)mi̯ər/myi ‘beautiful’morphemeChou 72: 568a-c

Chinese (Old)mi̯ər ‘beautiful’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 081

Cite this entry

STEDT etymon #2457, *mway ‘BEAUTIFUL / PERFECTLY / WELL’.

Stable link: https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/2457

Data: STEDT v1.0 (2017). Accessed: [date].

References: STC#304, HPTB pp.220, 228

BibTeX

@misc{stedt-2457,
  title  = {{*mway 'BEAUTIFUL / PERFECTLY / WELL'}},
  author = {STEDT},
  year   = {2017},
  note   = {Sino-Tibetan Etymological Dictionary and Thesaurus (STEDT) v1.0, etymon #2457},
  url    = {https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/2457}
}