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STEDT #28

*tsu

DEAD, SPIRIT OF
Proto-Tibeto-Burman · provisional

Reconstruction analysis

handletsuinitialtsrhymeucoverTS · V

Notes

This root is solidly established for PTB on the basis of the Jingpho and Burmese reflexes, with good confirmation from the Limbu form. It also is well attested in Qiangic, although the vocalism of some of these forms remains to be explained. The cognacy of the rGyalrongic forms is possible but not certain.

Reflexes & cognates28 reflexes · 6 subgroups

1.5Mikir [Karbi]1

Mikir [Karbi]longmorpheme◦koi ‘grasshopper’Marrison 67 Naga

1.7.3.1Jingpho2

Jingphoʔəprefix◦tsù ‘disembodied spirit’Matisoff 74 TJLB: 36

2.3.1Eastern Kiranti1

Limbusu◦gupmorpheme ‘spirit of a woman dead in childbirth’Driem 88? LimA

3.2Qiangic19

Ersutʂhɑ⁵⁵ ‘ghost / demon’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 523.18
Lyuzutʂhæ⁵³ n‘ghost / spirit’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0669.18
Namuyitʂha⁵⁵ ‘ghost / demon’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 523.19
Namuyitʂha⁵⁵ n‘ghost / spirit’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0669.46
Namuyitʂha⁵⁵ n‘spirit (evil) / demon’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0670.46
Pumi (Jiulong)dʑy⁵⁵ n‘soul / spirit’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0673.10
Pumi (Lanping)tsu⁵⁵ n‘ghost / spirit’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0669.09
Pumi (Qinghua)tsu⁵⁵ ‘ghost’Lu 83 Pumi
Pumi (Qinghua)tsu⁵⁵ ‘ghost / demon’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 523.11
Pumi (Qinghua)ɕe⁵⁵ ‘spirit’Lu 83 Pumi
Pumi (Taoba)tsu⁵⁵ ‘ghost’Lu 83 Pumi
Pumi (Taoba)tsu⁵⁵ ‘ghost / demon’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 523.10
Qiang (Mawo)ʑy ʑy ‘soul / spirit’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 524.8
Qiang (Taoping)su⁵⁵ ‘soul / spirit’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 524.9
Xumidʑu³⁵ ‘soul / spirit’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 524.20
Xumitshu³⁵ n‘ghost / spirit’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0669.17
Xumitshu³⁵ ‘ghost / demon’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 523.20

6.1.1Burmish1

Burmese (Written)ʔəmorpheme◦chu ‘num. aux. applied to deities, pagodas, etc.’Matisoff 74 TJLB: 36

Cite this entry

STEDT etymon #28, *tsu ‘DEAD, SPIRIT OF’.
Stable link: https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/28
Data: STEDT v1.0 (2017). Accessed: [date].
References: TJLB #36
BibTeX
@misc{stedt-28,
  title  = {{*tsu 'DEAD, SPIRIT OF'}},
  author = {STEDT},
  year   = {2017},
  note   = {Sino-Tibetan Etymological Dictionary and Thesaurus (STEDT) v1.0, etymon #28},
  url    = {https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/28}
}