STEDT
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STEDT #2493

*m/s-naːy

TWIST / KNEAD / SOFTEN
Proto-Tibeto-Burman

Reconstruction analysis

handlenaːyinitialnrhymeaːycoverM · W

Intermediate reconstructions

Tangkhulic*ŋaj ‘TWIST / KNEAD’DRM#381

Connections

HPTB*m-naːy ‘twist / knead’p. 210

Notes

French (1983:554) relates PNN *ɲaːy SOFT to this root. This is plausible in view of WB nai ‘knead with hands / trample with feet’, i.e. “soften up”.

French goes on to make a further association between SOFT and CHEAP, pointing to WB nai ‘knead’, and jhe-nai ‘cheap’, analogous to an antonymous association within Northern Naga, e.g. Chang sek bu ‘expensive’ and sek ok bu ‘hard’.

This etymon seems definitely to be related to #434 PTB *s/ʔ-n(w)ay COHESIVE / STICKY / ELASTIC.

Reflexes & cognates23 reflexes · 6 subgroups

0.1Tibeto-Burman (previously published reconstructions)3

*Tibeto-Burmanmprefix-naːy ‘twist / knead’Matisoff 03 HPTB: 604
*Tibeto-Burmannaːy ‘knead / twist’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 061
*Tibeto-Burmannaːy ‘twist / knead’Benedict 72 STC: 286

1.3.4Tangkhulic8

*Tangkhulicŋaj ‘twist / knead’Mortensen 12 Tk: 381
Huishukʰəmorpheme-nej ‘twist / knead’Mortensen 12 Tk: Verbs.060
Kachaikʰəmorpheme-nwe ‘twist / knead’Mortensen 12 Tk: Verbs.052
Tangkhulkhəprefix◦nai ‘knead’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 061
Tangkhulkhəprefix◦nai ‘knead’Benedict 72 STC: 286
Tangkhulnày ‘knead’Bhat 69 TNV: 91
Ukhrulkʰəprefix-naj ‘knead’Mortensen 12 Tk
Ukhrulkʰəmorpheme-ŋəmorpheme-naj ‘knead’Mortensen 12 Tk

1.7.2Northern Naga/Konyakian2

1.7.2.2Konyak-Chang3

Changiprefix◦nyai◦bümorpheme ‘soft’Marrison 67 Naga
Konyaknyei◦pumorpheme ‘cheap’Marrison 67 Naga

1.7.3.1Jingpho1

Jingphoməprefix◦nai ‘twist’Benedict 72 STC: 286

6.1.1Burmish12

Burmese (Written)hnâi ‘rub hair with limejuice to make soft’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 097
Burmese (Written)hnâi v.‘rub ( hair ) with lime juice, etc., to make it soft’Benedict 76 WBur
Burmese (Written)nai ‘knead with hands, or trample with feet’Benedict 76 WBur
Burmese (Written)nai' ‘loose, not firm’Matisoff 85 GSTC: 097
Burmese (Written)naiʼ ‘loose, not firm’Benedict 76 WBur
Burmese (Written)nɑj² ‘knead (dough)’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 630.39

Cite this entry

STEDT etymon #2493, *m/s-naːy ‘TWIST / KNEAD / SOFTEN’.
Stable link: https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/2493
Data: STEDT v1.0 (2017). Accessed: [date].
References: cf. HPTB p. 210, STC#286
BibTeX
@misc{stedt-2493,
  title  = {{*m/s-naːy 'TWIST / KNEAD / SOFTEN'}},
  author = {STEDT},
  year   = {2017},
  note   = {Sino-Tibetan Etymological Dictionary and Thesaurus (STEDT) v1.0, etymon #2493},
  url    = {https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/2493}
}