STEDT
The Body  ›  Internal Organs  ›  Heart
STEDT #251

*s/k-niŋ

BRAIN / HEART / MIND
Proto-Tibeto-Burman

Reconstruction analysis

handles/k-prefixs/kinitialnrhymeiŋsuffix(coverM · N

Intermediate reconstructions

Tangkhulic*niŋ ‘MIND / THINK / SOUL’DRM#491, DRM#767
Lolo-Burmese*s-niŋ³ ‘HEART’

Connections

Allofams
HPTB*s-niŋ ⪤ *s-nik ‘heart / mind / brain’pp. 39, 102, 103, 283, 347, 480, 521
See alsoCHEST

Notes

Note the appearance of this root in the Lepcha form for ‘sperm’: nyiŋ (bam-lyan̊) ‘(abode of the) soul’.

This root is distinct but closely related to #297 PTB *s-ni HEART / BREAST / CHEST / RIB and #1385 PTB *s/k-nik HEART / MIND. In general it is more ‘hearty’, while #297 PTB *s-ni HEART / BREAST / CHEST / RIB is more ‘chesty’.

Chinese comparandum

仁 OC *ni̯ĕn, GSR #388fg ‘kind, good’; Coblin 1986:92 (Sinitic) *njing, (Old Chin.) *njin; B & S 2011: *niŋ {*ni[ŋ]}; Mand. rén.

Reflexes & cognates207 reflexes · 27 subgroups

0Sino-Tibetan (previously published reconstructions)1

*Sino-Tibetannying ‘heart / kind’Coblin 86: 92

1.1.1.1Western Tani1

Apataniaprefix-ñíŋ ‘breast’Sun J 93 Tani

1.2.2Central Chin1

1.3.4Tangkhulic9

*Tangkhulicniŋ ‘think / soul’Mortensen 12 Tk: 491
*Tangkhulicniŋ ‘mind / think’Mortensen 12 Tk: 767
Huishuʔamorpheme-nɐŋ ‘mind / locus of thought’Mortensen 12 Tk: BodyParts.349
Kachaikəmorpheme-pʰəmorpheme-nɐŋ v.t.‘think’Mortensen 12 Tk: Verbs.017
Tusomkʰəmorpheme-pʰəmorpheme-nɯə̃ v.‘think’Mortensen 12 Tk: Verbs.018
Tusomʔɯmorpheme-nɯə̃ ‘mind’Mortensen 12 Tk: BodyParts.343
Ukhrulkəmorpheme-pʰəmorpheme-niŋ ‘think’Mortensen 12 Tk

1.4Meithei4

Meitheining◦thina ‘well (adv)’Marrison 67 Naga

1.7.1.2Garo8

Garotaniŋ ‘brain’Weidert 87 TBTo: 125
Garotanəŋ ‘brain’LaPolla 87: 49
Garotəniŋ ‘brains’Matisoff 78 VSTB
Garotəniŋ ‘brains’Benedict 72 STC: 367
Garo (Bangladesh)skomorpheme-tamorpheme-ning ‘brain’Burling 92 GaBa
Garo (Bangladesh)tamorpheme-ning ‘brain’Burling 92 GaBa

2.1.1Western Himalayish3

Pattani [Manchati]ʈumorpheme◦ɳi ‘lap’Sharma, D.D. 82 TH

2.1.2Bodic4

Tshona (Wenlang)neŋ⁵⁵ ‘heart’Lu 86 CuoM
Tshona (Mama)niŋ⁵³ ‘heart’Sun H 80 MLD

2.1.2.1Tibetan37

Tibetan (Alike)rȵ̥aŋ rdʑe ‘pitiable / pitiful’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1116.05
Tibetan (Batang)ȵ̥i⁵⁵ ‘heart’Dai 89 Bata: 9.3
Tibetan (Batang)ȵ̥i⁵⁵ ‘heartbeat’Dai 89 Bata: 9.3.1
Tibetan (Jirel)'nyeː◦pākqmorpheme ‘breath / life’Matisoff 87 BP
Tibetan (Lhasa)tʂu¹³morpheme ȵiŋ⁵⁵ tø¹³² v.‘want (to go)’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1728.02
Tibetan (Lhasa)ȵiŋ⁵⁵-tɕe¹³morphemepo⁵³suffix ‘beautiful’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 847.2
Tibetan (Lhasa)ȵiŋ⁵⁵tɕe¹³morphemepo⁵⁵suffix ‘beautiful / pleasant to the eyes’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1093.02
Tibetan (Lhasa)ȵiŋ⁵⁵tɕi⁵⁵morpheme ‘pitiable / pitiful’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1116.02
Tibetan (Sherpa)ning◦ǰe n‘kindness’Hale 73 CSD: 10a.08
Spitiñiŋ ‘heart’Bodh 91: 9.3
Spitiñiŋ dapce ‘heartbeat’Bodh 91: 9.3.1
Tibetan (Written)sñiṅ brtse v‘love’Marrison 67 Naga
Tibetan (Written)snying ‘heart, mind’Coblin 86: 92
Tibetan (Written)snying-rjemorpheme ‘kindness / mercy’Matisoff 93 PC
Tibetan (Written)snyiŋ ‘heart / mind’Weidert 87 TBTo: 125
Tibetan (Written)snyiŋ ‘heart, mind’Matisoff 78 VSTB
Tibetan (Written)sȵin rdzemorpheme posuffix ‘beautiful’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 847.1
Tibetan (Written)sȵiŋ rdʑemorpheme ‘pitiable / pitiful’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1116.01
Tibetan (Written)sȵiŋ rdʑemorpheme posuffix ‘beautiful / pleasant to the eyes’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1093.01
Tibetan (Xiahe)hȵaŋ dʑe ‘pitiable / pitiful’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1116.04

2.1.3Lepcha1

Lepchanyiŋ (bammorpheme-lyan̊morpheme) ‘semen; sperma genitale viri / mulieris’Matisoff 87 BP

2.3.1Eastern Kiranti1

Limbuniŋ-wasuffix ‘heart’Benedict 72 STC: 367

3.1Tangut7

Tangut [Xixia]nǐeɦ ‘heart (psyche)’Nishida 64 Tan: 186
Tangut [Xixia]nǐeɦ ‘heart (psyche)’Nishida 64 Tan: 88-011
Tangut [Xixia]nji̱j ‘heart, mind’Li 97 Tangut: 2518
Tangut [Xixia]nju̱ (nju) ‘happy’Li 97 Tangut: 1821
Tangut [Xixia]nɪ̯e¹ ‘heart’Sofronov 97

3.2Qiangic13

Ersusɿ⁵⁵ ȵi⁵⁵ ‘heart’Sun H 91 ErsQ
Ersusɿ⁵⁵ȵi⁵⁵ ‘heart’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 272.18
Namuyiȵi³³mi⁵⁵suffix ‘heart’Sun H 91 NamQ: 9.3
Namuyiȵi³³mi⁵⁵suffix ‘heart’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 272.19
Namuyiȵi³³mi⁵⁵suffix ‘courage’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 514.19
Namuyiȵi³³mi⁵⁵suffix n‘heart’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0144.46
Namuyiȵi³³mi⁵⁵ ɑ³³tsɿ⁵⁵mu⁵⁵ v.‘careful, be / cautious’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1734.46
Xumiȵɛ⁵³mi³³suffix n‘heart’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0144.17
Xumiȵɛ⁵⁵ mi³³suffix ‘heart’Sun H 91 ShiQ
Xumiȵɛ⁵⁵mi³³suffix ‘heart’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 272.20

3.3.1rGyalrong63

Caodengsni kɐ-zdək ‘sad’Sun J 97 Cao
rGyalrongteprefix◦ṣńit ‘heart’Benedict 72 STC: 79n242
rGyalrongtəprefix ɕȵᴇ ‘heart’Dai 89 Jiar: 9.3
rGyalrongtəprefix ɕȵᴇ ‘heartbeat’Dai 89 Jiar: 9.3.1
rGyalrongtəprefix ʃnᴇ ‘heart’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 272.12
Caodengtəprefix-sni ‘heart (organ)’Sun J 97 Cao
rGyalrong (NW)təprefix◦sne ‘heart’Sun H 91 rNW: 9.3
rGyalrong (NW)təprefix◦sne kəmpʰar̥morpheme ‘heartbeat’Sun H 91 rNW: 9.3.1
rGyalrong (Northern)təprefix◦sni ‘heart’Sun H 91 rNQ: 9.3
rGyalrong (Eastern)təprefix◦ʃne ‘heart’Sun H 91 rEQ: 9.3
rGyalrong (Eastern)təprefix◦ʃne kəmtsakmorpheme ‘heartbeat’Sun H 91 rEQ: 9.3.1
rGyalrongtəprefix◦ʃnᴇ ‘courage’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 514.12
rGBenzhentəprefix-ʃneʔ ‘heart’Sun J 97 rGB
Shilitə́prefix-sne ‘heart (organ)’Sun J 97 Shi

4Nungic10

Nungȵi⁵⁵ɳɑŋ⁵⁵ v.‘envy’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1410.21
Anongəprefix◦niŋ ‘brains’Matisoff 78 VSTB
Anongəprefix◦niŋ ‘brain’LaPolla 87: 49
Anongəprefix◦niŋ ‘brains’Benedict 72 STC: 367

6.1Lolo-Burmese1

6.1.1Burmish4

6.1.2Loloish1

Lolophoȵi̱⁴⁴ mo³³ ‘heartbeat’suffix · morphemeDai 89 Lolo: 9.3.1

6.1.2.1Northern Loloish7

Gazhuoŋˌ³⁵ma³³suffixmɛ³³morpheme ‘heart’Dai 87 Gazh
Nesua⁵⁵prefix ȵi²¹ ‘breast’Chen 86 Yi: 5.4
Yi (Lishan)nɛ̱³³ mo³¹suffix ‘heart’Dai 87 Gazh
Yi (Mojiang)ᴀ⁵⁵prefixnɛ²¹ ‘breast’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 259.26
Yi (Nanjian)m̩(u̪)³³mɑ³³suffix ‘heart’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 272.23
Yi (Nanjian)mu̪³³ mɑ³³suffix ‘heart’Chen 85 YiJZ

6.1.2.2Central Loloish8

Ahini-mo 44-22 ‘heart’suffix · suffixMatisoff 72 LTSR: 146(a)
Sani [Nyi]A³³prefixni³³ ‘breast’Wu 84
Sani [Nyi]n̩⁴⁴ mɑ³³suffix ‘heart’Ma 89 SanQ: 323.3
Sani [Nyi]ɑ⁴⁴morpheme n̩³³ mɑ³³morpheme ‘breast’Ma 89 SanQ: 368.1
Sani [Nyi]ɑ⁴⁴morphemen̩³mɑ³³morpheme ‘breast’Chen 86 Yi: 5.4

6.1.2.3Southern Loloish4

Bisunɨŋ◦basuffix ‘heart’Beaudouin 88 Bisu: 14
Bisunɯŋ basuffix ‘heart’Bradley 79 PLo
Bisunɯŋ-basuffix ‘heart’Matisoff 72 LTSR: 146(b)
Bisunɯŋ◦ba(sɯ̀) ‘heart’also contains *seysuffixBradley 9x Bisu

9Sinitic1

"Pre-Chinese"njing ‘heart / kind’Coblin 86: 92

9.0.1Old Chinese1

Chinese (Old)njin ‘kind / good’Coblin (p.92) argues for the semantic connection between this Chinese etymon and the TB root by citing the English expression ‘have a heart.’ Coblin 86: 92

Cite this entry

STEDT etymon #251, *s/k-niŋ ‘BRAIN / HEART / MIND’.
Stable link: https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/251
Data: STEDT v1.0 (2017). Accessed: [date].
References: ⪤ *s-ni 297; cf. STC#367, HPTB
BibTeX
@misc{stedt-251,
  title  = {{*s/k-niŋ 'BRAIN / HEART / MIND'}},
  author = {STEDT},
  year   = {2017},
  note   = {Sino-Tibetan Etymological Dictionary and Thesaurus (STEDT) v1.0, etymon #251},
  url    = {https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/251}
}