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STEDT #253

*s-nəw

BREAST / MILK / SUCK
Proto-Tibeto-Burman · exemplary

Reconstruction analysis

handlenəw-t/initialnrhymeəw-t/ncoverM · NWT

Intermediate reconstructions

Kuki-Chin*hnooy ‘BREAST’PKC #886
Tangkhulic*nu ‘BREAST’DRM#366
Karenic*nu' ‘BREAST’
Karenic*nuᴮ ‘BREASTS’TL#35

Connections

Allofams
HPTB*nəw ‘breast / milk’p. 198

Notes

Despite the phonological similarity of the Newar forms nu gɔr (Dolakhali) and nu gɔ: (Kathmandu) ‘heart’ to other Himalayish reflexes of this etymon, K. P. Malla denies their cognacy.

In fact, the semantic connection, between BREAST (of female) and HEART has yet to be demonstrated for Tibeto-Burman.

Chinese comparandum

乳 OC *ńi̯u, GSR #135a ‘breast’; Li 1971: *njugx; Baxter 1992: *njoʔ; Mand. rǔ.

This is a long-recognized cognate (see Shafer IST 1966:38; STC p. 184; Bodman 1980:171 #444; Coblin 1986:48; Gong 1995 #16, #70; Schuessler 2007:446).

The correspondence of TB final *‑əw (or *‑u) to OC *‑ug (Li)/*‑o (Baxter) is regular. For example:

頭 OC *dug ‘head’; (Li)/*do; Baxter, TB *d‑bu; Mand. tóu
霧 OC *mjugh ‘fog’; (Li)/*m(r)jos (Baxter); TB *r‑məw; Mand. wù
寇 OC *khugs ‘steal’, (Li)/*kh(r)os (Baxter), TB *r‑kəw; Mand. kòu.

This TB final also corresponds to OC *‑əgw (Li)/*‑u (Baxter), as seen in #1733.

[ZJH]

Reflexes & cognates353 reflexes · 40 subgroups

0Sino-Tibetan (previously published reconstructions)1

*Sino-Tibetannjuɣ ‘breast / nipple / milk’Coblin 86: 48

0.1Tibeto-Burman (previously published reconstructions)9

*Tibeto-Burmannuw ‘milk / breast’Weidert 87 TBTo: 327
*Tibeto-Burmannuw*C ‘breast / nipple / milk’Coblin 86: 48
*Tibeto-Burmannəw ‘breast / milk’Chou 72: 135a
*Tibeto-Burmannəw ‘milk / breast’Weidert 87 TBTo: 327
*Tibeto-Burmannəw ‘breast / milk’Matisoff 03 HPTB: 604

1.1.2Deng11

Iduno◦bramorpheme ‘nipple’Pulu 78
Iduno◦cimorpheme◦bramorpheme ‘nipple’Pulu 78
Iduȵo⁵⁵bɹa⁵⁵morpheme ‘milk’Sun H 91 IduQ: 5.4.3
Yiduȵo⁵⁵bɹɑ⁵⁵morpheme n‘milk’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0095.25

1.2Kuki-Chin1

*Chinhnooy ‘BREAST’VanBik 09 PKC: 886

1.2.1.1Northern Chin9

Kuki-Chinbongmorpheme◦noi ‘milk’Haokip 98: 5.4.3
Kuki-Chinnoi ‘breast’Haokip 98: 5.4
Kuki-Chinnoi◦muhmorpheme ‘nipple’Haokip 98: 5.4.1
Kuki-Chinnoi◦twimorpheme ‘milk’Haokip 98: 5.4.3
Sizangnoi ‘breast’VanBik 09 PKC: 886
Thadonôoy ‘breast’VanBik 09 PKC: 886
Tiddimnoːi¹ ‘breast’VanBik 09 PKC: 886
Tiddimnoːi¹ ‘breast’Bhaskararao 96 CDB: 1238
Tiddimˊnɔːi n‘nipple / breast / milk’Henderson 65 TidC

1.2.1.2Southern Plains Chin2

Awa Khumitănu⁴ ‘breasts’Luce 85: P.17
Khumi (Ahraing)kə̆prefix◦nu¹ ‘breasts’Luce 85: P.17

1.2.2Central Chin10

Khualsimhnɔ̃i¹ ‘breasts’Luce 85: P.17
Lushai [Mizo]hnu-temorpheme ‘breast, milk’Benedict 72 STC: 419
Lushai [Mizo]hnu-temorpheme ‘breast, milk’This Lushai (Mizo) form was miscopied from STC #419 in Coblin 1986:48, where it is attributed to Written Burmese.Coblin 86: 48
Lushai [Mizo]hnu-teːmorpheme ‘bosom; breasts; udder; milk’Bhaskararao 96 CDB: 1238
Lushai [Mizo]hnùu ‘breast / milk’Løffler 85 Paa
Lushai [Mizo]hnu◦têmorpheme ‘breast’Marrison 67 Naga
Lushai [Mizo]hnᴜ⁴tɛ³morpheme ‘breasts’Luce 85: P.17
Paangkhuaramorpheme◦nuù ‘breast / milk’Løffler 85 Paa

1.2.3Maraic4

Lakher [Mara]hnó-bía n‘breasts, the udder’VanBik 09 PKC: 886
Lothvo (Hiranpi)ăprefix◦hnᴜ̃³ ‘breasts’Luce 85: P.17
Merahnəu'¹ ‘breasts’Luce 85: P.17

1.2.4“Old Kuki”2

Chirurumorpheme◦nu ‘milk / breast’Weidert 87 TBTo: 327
Moyonnæ◦thénmorpheme ‘milk’Kosha 90: 5.4.3

1.3.1Central Naga (Ao Group)3

Sangtamnyi◦kimorpheme ‘milk’Marrison 67 Naga
Yimchungrü(¹)ñuʔ◦¹gemorpheme ‘milk / breast’Weidert 87 TBTo: 327

1.3.2Angami-Pochuri Group26

Angami (Kohima)(u)prefix nou¹¹ ‘breast’Nienu 90 AngQ: 5.4
Angami (Kohima)(u)prefix nou¹¹ tia³³morpheme ‘nipple’Nienu 90 AngQ: 5.4.1
Angami (Kohima)pe³¹morpheme nou¹¹ v‘nurse / suckle’Nienu 90 AngQ: 5.4.6
Angami (Kohima)uprefix◦nu ‘breast’Marrison 67 Naga
Chokri(u)prefix no¹¹ ‘breast’Nienu 90 ChoQ: 5.4
Chokri(u)prefix no¹¹ she⁵⁵morpheme ‘nipple’Nienu 90 ChoQ: 5.4.1
Chokri(u)prefix no¹¹ ta³³morpheme ‘nipple’Nienu 90 ChoQ: 5.4.1
Chokrimü³¹morpheme no¹¹ v‘nurse / suckle’Nienu 90 ChoQ: 5.4.6
Chokri¹no ‘milk / breast’Weidert 87 TBTo: 327
Khezhaňu◦kémorpheme ‘nipple’Yabu 94 Khö: 5.4.1
Khezha¹emorpheme◦²ñu ‘milk / breast’Weidert 87 TBTo: 327
Khezhaʼèprefix◦ňu ‘breast’Yabu 94 Khö: 5.4
Mao²omorpheme⁴ne ‘milk / breast’Weidert 87 TBTo: 327

1.7.2.1Tangsa-Nocte3

Nocteñuʔ-¹pomorpheme ‘milk / breast’Weidert 87 TBTo: 327
Nocteñuʔ¹◦pomorpheme ‘breast / milk’Weidert 87 TBTo: 131
Nocteŋ̃u posuffix ‘milk’French 83: 490

1.7.2.2Konyak-Chang1

Khiamngan¹ñaᴜʔ ‘milk / breast’Weidert 87 TBTo: 327

2.1.4Tamangish6

Chantyalnu◦nu ‘bosom’Noonan 92: 1.9
Chantyalnu◦nu ‘breast’Noonan 92: 5.4
Chantyalnu◦nu khwayamorpheme-wamorpheme v‘nurse / suckle’Noonan 92: 5.4.6
Chantyalnu◦nu-yemorpheme kəpalmorpheme ‘nipple’Chantyal -ye ‘GENITIVE’; kepal ‘head’, loan from Nepali.Noonan 92: 5.4.1

2.4Kham-Magar-Chepang1

Khamnwiː ‘breast’Watters 89 KhQ: 1.51

3.2Qiangic53

Ersuȵo³³ ȵo³³ ‘suck’Sun H 91 ErsQ
Ersuȵo⁵⁵ ȵo⁵⁵ ‘breast’Sun H 91 ErsQ
Ersuȵo⁵⁵ ȵo⁵⁵ ‘milk’Sun H 91 ErsQ
Ersuȵo⁵⁵ȵo⁵⁵ ‘breast’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 259.18
Ersuȵo⁵⁵ȵo⁵⁵ ‘milk’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 281.18
Guiqiongni⁵⁵ ni⁵⁵ ‘breast’Sun H 91 GuiQ
Guiqiongni⁵⁵ ni⁵⁵ ‘milk’Sun H 91 GuiQ
Guiqiongni⁵⁵ni⁵⁵ n‘breast’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0094.16
Guiqiongni⁵⁵ni⁵⁵ ‘breast’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 259.17
Guiqiongni⁵⁵ni⁵⁵ ‘milk’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 281.17
Guiqiongȵi⁵⁵ ȵi⁵⁵ wĩ⁵⁵morpheme jɛ̃⁵⁵morpheme ‘nipple’Sun H 91 GuiQ
Muya [Minyak]kʰɯ⁵⁵morphemenɯ⁵⁵ v.‘suck’Sun H 91 MuyQ: 5.4.5
Muya [Minyak]nɯ³³nø⁵³#254 PTB *s-nya-n ‘BREAST / MILK / SUCK’ ‘breast’Muya nɯ³³ likely derived from #253 PTB *s-nəw BREAST / MILK / SUCK, since PTB *-əw most often becomes Muya -ɯ, e.g. ‘steal’ PTB *r-kəw > WT rku, WB khûi, Muya kɯ⁵⁵; ‘sky’ PTB *r-məw > WT rmu-ba ‘fog’, WB mûi(gh), Muya mɯ⁵⁵.Sun H 91 MuyQ: 5.4
Namuyiȵy³³ȵy⁵⁵ ‘breast’Sun H 91 NamQ: 5.4
Namuyiȵy³³ȵy⁵⁵ ‘milk’Sun H 91 NamQ: 5.4.3
Namuyiȵy³³ȵy⁵⁵ v.‘suck’Sun H 91 NamQ: 5.4.5
Namuyiȵy³³ȵy⁵⁵ ‘breast’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 259.19
Namuyiȵy³³ȵy⁵⁵ ‘milk’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 281.19
Namuyiȵy³³ȵy⁵⁵ʁo⁵⁵morphemeba⁵⁵morpheme ‘nipple’Sun H 91 NamQ: 5.4.1
Namuyikhuæ³¹morphemeæʴ³¹morphemeȵu³³ȵu⁵⁵ n‘milk’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0095.46
Namuyiȵu̵³³ȵu̵⁵⁵ n‘breast’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0094.46
Namuyiȵu̵³³ȵu̵⁵⁵ v.‘suck’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1648.46
Pumi (Taoba)nɛ³⁵ ‘milk’Lu 83 Pumi
Qiang (Longxi)màmorpheme ímorpheme ȵà ȵá ‘cow milk’Evans 99 Qiang: 328
Qiang (Longxi)ȵà ȵá ‘breast’Evans 99 Qiang: 121
Qiang (Longxi)ȵà ȵá ‘milk (=breast)’Evans 99 Qiang: 161
Qiang (Mianchi)ȵà ȵá ‘breast’Evans 99 Qiang: 121
Qiang (Mianchi)ȵà ȵá ‘milk (=breast)’Evans 99 Qiang: 161
Qiang (Taoping)ȵy⁵⁵ ȵy⁵⁵ ‘breast’Sun H 81 Qia
Qiang (Taoping)ȵy⁵⁵ȵy⁵⁵ ‘breast’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 259.9
Queyu (Xinlong)nɯ¹³nɯ⁵⁵ n‘breast’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0094.13
Xuminiɛ⁵⁵ ‘milk’Sun H 91 ShiQ
Xuminiɛ⁵⁵ ‘milk’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 281.20
Xumiȵu⁵³ȵu³³ n‘breast’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0094.17
Xumiȵu⁵⁵ ȵu³³ ‘breast’Sun H 91 ShiQ
Xumiȵu⁵⁵ ȵu³³ ‘nipple’Sun H 91 ShiQ
Xumiȵu⁵⁵ȵu³³ ‘breast’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 259.20

3.3.1rGyalrong15

rGyalrong (Northern)kəprefix◦nu◦nu v‘suck’Sun H 91 rNQ: 5.4.5
rGyalrongtəprefix nu ‘breast’Dai 89 Jiar: 5.4.0
rGyalrongtəprefix nu ‘breast’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 259.12
Caodengtəprefix-nu-koʔmorpheme ‘breast (tit)’Sun J 97 Cao
Caodengtəprefix-nuʔ ‘breast’Sun J 97 Cao
rGyalrong (Eastern)təprefix◦no ‘breast’Sun H 91 rEQ: 5.4
rGyalrong (Eastern)təprefix◦no komorpheme ‘nipple’Sun H 91 rEQ: 5.4.1
rGyalrong (NW)təprefix◦noɣ ‘breast’Sun H 91 rNW: 5.4
rGyalrong (NW)təprefix◦noɣ kumorpheme ‘nipple’Sun H 91 rNW: 5.4.1
rGyalrong (Northern)təprefix◦nu ‘breast’Sun H 91 rNQ: 5.4
rGyalrong (Northern)təprefix◦nu kumorpheme ‘nipple’Sun H 91 rNQ: 5.4.1
rGyalrongtəprefix◦nu wamorpheme komorpheme ‘nipple’Dai 89 Jiar: 5.4.1
rGyalrongtAprefix nu ‘breast’Nagano 97 GyQ: 5.4
rGBenzhentəprefix-nuʔ ‘breast’Sun J 97 rGB

6.1Lolo-Burmese1

*Lolo-Burmesenəw³ ‘milk / breast’Weidert 87 TBTo: 327

6.1.1Burmish56

Achang (Longchuan)n̥o³¹morphemeȵau³⁵ n‘milk’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0095.28
Bolanau³⁵ ‘breast’Dai 89 Bola: 118
Burmese (Modern)nuiʔ ‘breasts’Luce 85: U.9
Burmese (Modern)nuiʼ¹ ‘breasts, nipple’Luce 85: G.53
Burmese (Spoken)no’² ‘breasts’Luce 85: U.9
Burmese (Spoken Rangoon)no⁵³õ²²morpheme ‘breast’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 259.40
Burmese (Written)no¹uṁ²morpheme ‘breast’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 259.39
Burmese (Written)núi ‘breast, milk’Coblin 86: 48
Burmese (Written)nui. ‘breast’Final period is in original.Marrison 67 Naga
Burmese (Written)nuiwʼ ‘breasts; nipple’Luce 85: G.53
Burmese (Written)nuiwʼ ‘breasts’Luce 85: U.9
Burmese (Written)nuiwʼ ‘breasts; to suckle’Luce 85: W.75
Burmese (Written)nuiʼ ‘breast; milk’Matisoff 87 BP
Burmese (Written)nuiʼ ‘breast; milk’Benedict 76 WBur
Danunoʔ² ‘breasts’Luce 85: U.9
Hpun (Northern)ăprefix◦nù, ăprefix◦nᴜ́ ‘breast’Henderson 86 Hpun
Hpun (Metjo)ăprefix◦nuh⁴ ‘breasts; nipple’Luce 85: G.53
Hpun (Metjo)ăprefix◦nuh⁴ ‘breasts’Luce 85: U.9
Lashinou⁵⁵ ‘breast’Dai 89 Lash: 5.4
Lashinou⁵⁵ ‘udder (of cow, goat)’Dai 89 Lash: 5.4.2
Lashinou⁵⁵ jiŋ³¹morpheme ‘milk’Dai 89 Lash: 5.4.3
Lashi (Lachhe')nɑu² ‘breasts’Luce 85: U.9
Lashi (Lachhe')nɑu¹ ‘breasts’Luce 85: U.9
Maru [Langsu]noʔ² ‘breasts’Luce 85: U.9
Maru [Langsu]nuk⁵⁵ ‘breast’Dai 89 Lang: 5.4
Maru [Langsu]nuk⁵⁵ ‘udder (of cow, goat)’Dai 89 Lang: 5.4.2
Maru [Langsu]nuk⁵⁵ ‘milk’Maru final -k is secondary; -uk is the regular Maru reflex of *-əw, as first noted in the original version of STC (p. 60 in the published version, 1972) and for the first time in print by Burling 1966 (Language 42.3). Thus this form is not to be referred to the stop-finalled allofam #259 PTB *s-nəw(k/ŋ) BREAST / MILK. Burling’s correct observation about the secondariness of the velar stop in the Maru rhyme -uk (which is paralleled by the secondary -t in Maru -it < PTB *-əy), was attacked by Roy Andrew Miller “Once again, the Maru final stops” (1968 paper presented at ICSTLL #1, Yale University). This attack was in turn refuted in STC, in the new note 193 (added in 1972).Sun H 91 ZMYY: 281.43
Maru [Langsu]nuk⁵⁵ xək⁵⁵morpheme ‘colostrum’Dai 89 Lang: 5.4.4
Maru [Langsu]nuk⁵⁵ ɣək³¹#1013 PTB *rəy ‘WATER / LIQUID / BODILY FLUID’PLB *rəy¹ ‘WATER’PL *re¹ ‘WATER’ ‘milk’Maru ɣək³¹ < PLB *rəy¹ ‘water; liquid’ (#1013 PTB *rəy WATER / LIQUID / BODILY FLUID). Final *-əy regularly becomes -it in the Maru dialect described in Burling 1966. The unreleased final stop evidently sounds more like a velar in the dialect recorded by Dai Qingxia, who transcribes this rhyme as “-ək“.Maru ɣək³¹ < PLB *rəy¹ ‘water; liquid’ (#1013 PTB *rəy WATER / LIQUID / BODILY FLUID). Final *-əy regularly becomes -it in the Maru dialect described in Burling 1966. The unreleased final stop evidently sounds more like a velar in the dialect recorded by Dai Qingxia, who transcribes this rhyme as “-ək“.Dai 89 Lang: 5.4.3
Maru [Langsu]nú◦kàmmorpheme ‘milk / breast’Weidert 87 TBTo: 327
Taung-Yonoʔ¹ ‘breasts’Luce 85: U.9
Atsi [Zaiwa]nāu ‘milk / breast’Weidert 87 TBTo: 327
Atsi [Zaiwa]nau⁵⁵ ‘breast’Xu 84 Zaiwa
Atsi [Zaiwa]nau⁵⁵ ‘milk’Xu 84 Zaiwa
Atsi [Zaiwa]nau⁵⁵ ‘breast’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 259.42
Atsi [Zaiwa]nɑu¹ ‘breasts’Luce 85: U.9

6.1.2Loloish3

*Loloishno³ ‘milk / breast’Weidert 87 TBTo: 327

6.1.2.1Northern Loloish12

Gazhuoa²⁴prefix ŋ³³ ‘milk’Gazhuo -u has been completely swallowed up by the nasal initial in ŋ³³, a phenomenon which is typical of Loloish: e.g. the Lahu phonemic syllable /mu/ is pronounced as a syllabic labiodental nasal [ɱ̩] (see Matisoff 1973, The Grammar of Lahu, pp. 3-4).Dai 89 Gazh: 5.4.3
Nusu (Northern)nə̃³¹ nə̃⁵⁵ ‘breast’Sun J 86 Nusu
Nusu (Central)nɯ³³ nɯ³¹ ‘breast’Dai 89 NusB: 118.
Nusu (Central/Zhizhiluo)nɯ³⁵ nɯ³¹ ‘breast’Dai 89 NusA: 118.
Nusu (Southern)nɯ⁵⁵ nɯ³¹ ‘breast’Sun J 86 Nusu
Nusu (Central)nɯ⁵⁵ nɯ³¹ ‘breast’Sun J 86 Nusu
Nusu (Bijiang)nɯ⁵⁵nɯ³¹ ‘breast’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 259.45
Nusu (Bijiang)nɯ⁵⁵nɯ³¹ ‘milk’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 281.45
Yi (Mile)ᴀ³³prefixnɯ³³ ‘milk’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 281.25

6.1.2.2Central Loloish13

Ahia³³prefixnɯ³³ ‘milk’Chen 86 Yi: 5.4.3
Ahiɑ³³prefix nɯ³³ ‘milk’Luo 90: 5.4.3
Ahiɑ³³prefix nɯ³³ ŋɯ⁵⁵morpheme ‘wean’Luo 90: 5.4.7
Jinuo (Buyuan)ɑ³¹prefix nɑ¹¹ ‘milk’Gai 86
Lisuna³morpheme naw³ ‘breast’Bradley 79 PLo: 119A
Sani [Nyi]ɑ⁴⁴prefix n̩³³ ‘milk (from breast)’Ma 89 SanQ: 368.2

7Karenic36

*Karen (Pwo)nú' ‘breast’Jones 61: 23
*Karennuᴮ ‘breasts’Luangthongkum 13: 35
*Karen (Sgaw)nỳ ‘breast’Jones 61: 23
Bwe-nu n‘breast’Henderson 97 Kar
Bwenù ‘breast’Weidert 87 TBTo: 926
Bwe (Western)nũ² ‘breasts, nipple’Luce 85: G.53
Bwenu³³ ‘breasts’Luangthongkum 13: 35
Gebanũ² ‘breasts, nipple’Luce 85: G.53
Kayah(Ɂi¹¹morpheme)nu¹¹ ‘breasts’Luangthongkum 13: 35
Kayannu¹¹ ‘breasts’Luangthongkum 13: 35
Kayawnu¹¹ ‘breasts’Luangthongkum 13: 35
Pakunu³ ‘breasts, nipple’Luce 85: G.53
Pakunɤ³ ‘breasts, nipple’Luce 85: G.53
Palaychinù ‘breast’Jones 61: 23
Pwo (Northern)nə̯u¹¹¨ ‘breasts’Luangthongkum 13: 35
Pwo (Delta)nu¹ ‘breasts, nipple’Luce 85: G.53
Pwo (Tenasserim)nu⁴ ‘breasts, nipple’Luce 85: G.53
Pwo (Bassein)núʔ ‘breast’Jones 61: 23
Sgawnɤ⁶ ‘breasts, nipple’Luce 85: G.53
Sgaw¹nü ‘breast’Weidert 87 TBTo: 926

9Sinitic2

9.0.1Old Chinese5

Chinese (Old/Mid)ńi̯u/ńźi̯u: ‘breast, nipple, milk, suckle, hatch’Karlgren 57 GSR: 135a
Chinese (Old)ñi̯u ‘breasts, nipple’Luce 85: G.53
Chinese (Old)ñi̯u ‘breasts’Luce 85: U.9
Chinese (Old)ñi̯u ‘breasts; to suckle’Luce 85: W.75
Chinese (Old)njugx ‘breast / nipple / milk’Coblin 86: 48

9.0.2Middle Chinese3

Chinese (Middle)ńźju: ‘nipple, milk, suckle’Coblin 86: 48

9.0.3Modern Chinese3

Cite this entry

STEDT etymon #253, *s-nəw ‘BREAST / MILK / SUCK’.
Stable link: https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/253
Data: STEDT v1.0 (2017). Accessed: [date].
References: STC#419
BibTeX
@misc{stedt-253,
  title  = {{*s-nəw 'BREAST / MILK / SUCK'}},
  author = {STEDT},
  year   = {2017},
  note   = {Sino-Tibetan Etymological Dictionary and Thesaurus (STEDT) v1.0, etymon #253},
  url    = {https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/253}
}