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STEDT #301

*ʔu

EGG / BIRD
Proto-Tibeto-Burman · exemplary

Reconstruction analysis

handlewuinitialwrhymeucoverL · V

Connections

Allofams
HPTB*ʔu ‘egg / sit on eggs’p. 199

Notes

This etymon is closely related to one for BIRD, set up as #1603 PTB *w(a/u) BIRD / EGG / WING / FOWL. The original version of STC sets up *wa for BIRD (STC #99), but this is revised to *(b)wa (largely because of Bahing ba ‘fowl’) in the indexes (pp. 209, 211). In some languages (e.g. Jingpho and Kadu) a reflex of #301 PTB *ʔu EGG / BIRD occurs as a prefix in bird-names (ù-). Marrison (p. 459) sets up three Proto-Northern Naga allofams for BIRD: *C-waw, *ua, and *wa. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish the reflexes of *wa and *wu. For example, in the following NE Indian Areal Group forms, the italicized syllables are to be derived from *wa ⪤ *wu BIRD, with another constituent conveying the meaning EGG: Chang aokiak, Chokri thüvuzü, Konyak aokiak, Konyak (Tamlu) ʌuji, Ntenyi awüü-atsü, Sema aukhu, Tangsa ¹vu¹t̪ʌi, Tangsa (Moshang) wu◦di, Wancho ao-ti/ɔ-ti, Yacham-Tengsa u-tü.

These roots have a wide distribution in TB. In Lolo-Burmese (including Jinuo), the root *wu is widely attested with the predominant meanings ‘egg; lay egg; hatch’. In Bai this root means ‘hatch’, while in Northern Naga and Qiang (Mawo, Yadu) it generally means ‘bird’, occurring as the first element in compounds for ‘egg’ (see below).

Chinese comparandum

嫗 OC *ʔi̯u, GSR #122o ‘sit on eggs, incubate, warm (v.) with the body’; Schuessler 2007:590 *ʔoʔ; B & S 2011: (*qoʔ); Mand. yù ~ yǔ.

Reflexes & cognates208 reflexes · 14 subgroups

0.1Tibeto-Burman (previously published reconstructions)1

*Tibeto-Burmanʔu ‘egg / sit on eggs’Matisoff 03 HPTB: 583

1.3.2Angami-Pochuri Group1

1.7.2.2Konyak-Chang2

Phomu³³ ‘bird (general term) / fowl’Burling 98 Phom
Phomu³³dɔ⁵⁵morpheme ‘bird basket / bird cage ('bird'+?)’Burling 98 Phom

1.7.3.1Jingpho9

Jingphou̱³¹la³¹morpheme ‘rooster’Liu 84
Jingphou̱³¹la³¹morpheme ‘rooster’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 136.47
Jingphou³¹ʒa³³morpheme n‘cock’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0294.19
Jingphou◦lamorpheme ‘cock’Marrison 67 Naga
Jingphou◦rangmorpheme ‘cock’Marrison 67 Naga
Jingpho¹u³khu#2251 PTB *(g/k)u ‘OWL’-¹miʔmorpheme³wakmorpheme ‘owl’Weidert 87 TBTo: 83

6.1Lolo-Burmese2

*Lolo-Burmeseʔu³ ‘egg / sit on eggs’Matisoff 03 HPTB: 583

6.1.1Burmish44

Achang (Lianghe)a³¹prefix u³¹ ‘egg’Dai 85 AcJZ
Achang (Longchuan)u³⁵ ‘lay (egg)’Dai 85 AcJZ
Achang (Luxi)a³¹prefix u³⁵ ‘egg’Dai 85 AcJZ
Achang (Luxi)u⁵¹ ‘lay (egg)’Dai 85 AcJZ
Achang (Xiandao)pʐap³⁵morpheme u³¹ ‘duck egg’Dai 89 Xian: 575
Bolapjɛ̱t⁵⁵morpheme u̱³⁵ ‘duck egg’Dai 89 Bola: 575
Bolau̱³⁵ ‘egg’Dai 89 Bola: 573
Burmese (Written)lə#1284 PTB *m-ley ⪤ *m-li ‘PENIS’MesorootsPL *(n)-li² ‘PENIS’Allofams114 #1285 PTB *m-(l/n)ey ⪤ *m-li ‘PENIS’114a #1284 PTB *m-ley ⪤ *m-li ‘PENIS’114b #545 PTB *m-ney ‘PENIS’◦ʔu ‘scrotum’Note the reduction to schwa in WB lə.Matisoff 87 BP
Burmese (Written)əprefix-uʼ ‘egg’Benedict 76 WBur
Burmese (Written)ʔəprefix◦ʔu' ‘egg’Matisoff 87 BP
Hpun (Northern)ăprefix◦ʔùʼ; chómorpheme◦ʔùʼ ‘egg (cp. Fowl)’Henderson 86 Hpun
Hpun (Northern)lauŋloanword úʼ ‘scrotum’Henderson 86 Hpun
Hpun (Northern)lauŋmorpheme úʼ ‘testicles’Henderson 86 Hpun
Lashiu̱⁵³ ‘egg (of animal)’Dai 89 Lash: 10.4.16
Maru [Langsu]a̱morpheme◦u⁵⁵ ‘egg (of animal)’Dai 89 Lang: 10.4.16
Atsi [Zaiwa]a²¹prefix u⁵⁵ ‘egg’Xu 84 Zaiwa
Atsi [Zaiwa]a²¹prefixu⁵⁵ n‘egg’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0450.30
Atsi [Zaiwa]a²¹prefixu⁵⁵ ‘egg’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 170.42

6.1.2Loloish3

Lolophofv̩³³ ‘egg (of animal)’Dai 89 Lolo: 10.4.16

6.1.2.1Northern Loloish37

Gazhuofv̩³³ ‘lay (egg)’Dai 87 Gazh
Gazhuofv̩³³ ‘egg (of animal)’Dai 89 Gazh: 10.4.16
Lalofu ‘egg’Björverud 94
Lalofu̪³³ ‘egg (of animal)’Chen 86 Yi: 10.4.16
Liphofu³³ ‘egg’Chen 86 Yi: 10.4.16
Nesufu²¹ ‘egg (of animal)’Chen 86 Yi: 10.4.16
Nusu (Central/Zhizhiluo)u̱³¹ u̱³⁵ ‘lay egg’Dai 89 NusA: 2363.
Nusu (Northern)ɦu³¹ ‘lay (egg)’Sun J 86 Nusu
Nusu (Southern)ʔu⁵⁵ ‘lay (egg)’Sun J 86 Nusu
Nusu (Northern)ʔu⁵⁵ ‘egg’Sun J 86 Nusu
Yi (Dafang)fɒ³³ ‘sit on (egg)’Chen 85 YiJZ
Yi (Mojiang)fu²¹ ‘egg’morphemeSun H 91 ZMYY: 170.26
Yi (Mojiang)fu²¹ ‘lay (egg)’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 785.26
Yi (Nanhua)xu³³ ‘lay (egg)’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 785.24
Yi (Nanhua)xu̱³³; fu̱³³ ‘egg’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 170.24
Yi (Nanjian)fu³³ ‘egg’Chen 85 YiJZ
Yi (Nanjian)fu³³ ‘lay (egg)’Chen 85 YiJZ
Yi (Nanjian)fu³³ ‘lay (egg)’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 785.23
Yi (Xide)vu̱³³ ‘hatch’Chen 79 YiCh
Yi (Xide)vu̱³³ ‘hatch’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 786.21

6.1.2.2Central Loloish51

Jinuo (Baya/Banai)vu³¹ pʰo⁴⁴morpheme ‘incubate’Dai 89 JinA: 1899.1
Jinuo (Youle)vu⁴² ‘sit on (egg)’Gai 86
Jinuo (Buyuan)vu⁴⁴ ‘hatch (an egg)’Gai 86
Jinuo (Buyuan)vu⁴⁴ v‘hatch, incubate’Gai 86
Jinuo (Baka)v̩³¹ ‘incubate’Dai 89 JinB: 1899
Jinuoɑ³³prefixvu³³ ‘egg’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 170.34
Jinuo (Youle)ɑ⁴⁴prefix vu³³ ‘egg’Gai 86
Lahu (Black)u ‘egg; lay an egg’Matisoff 87 BP
Lahu (Black)v̩³³ ‘lay (egg)’Chang 86
Lahu (Black)ɔ̀prefix-u ‘egg’Matisoff 87 BP
Lahu (Yellow)u³³ ‘lay (egg)’Chang 86
Lahu (Yellow)ɔ³¹prefix u³³ ‘egg’Chang 86
Lisu (Northern)a²¹morphemegɤ²¹morphemema³³morphemefu³³ ‘egg capsule of mantis’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Nujiang)e⁵⁵prefix fu̱⁴⁴ ‘egg’Xu 86 Lisu
Lisue⁵⁵morphemefu̱³³ n‘egg’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0450.40
Lisue⁵⁵prefixfu⁴⁴ ‘egg’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 170.27
Lisu (Putao)fo³ ‘egg; tuber; testicles’Luce 85: G.80
Lisu (Northern)fu³³ N, V‘egg; spawn; reproduce’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)fu³³gɔ²¹morpheme ‘rotten egg’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Nujiang)fu̱⁴⁴ ‘lay (egg)’Xu 86 Lisu
Lisufu⁴⁴ ‘lay (egg)’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 785.27
Lisu (Theng-yüeh)hu³ ‘egg; tuber; testicles’Luce 85: G.80
Lisu (Central)hu³ v.‘lay (as egg)’Fraser 22
Lisu (Northern)ji⁵⁵morphemefu³³ N‘egg; spawn’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)ɔ̃³³prefixfu³³ ‘goose egg’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)ɣa³³#1606 PTB *k-rak ‘FOWL / CHICKEN’PTani *rok ‘CHICKEN’fu³³ kɔ⁵⁵morphemegɔ²¹morpheme ‘empty shell of chicken egg’Bradley 94 Lisu

6.1.2.3Southern Loloish47

Akha (Yunnan)xhaprefix wuq ‘egg’Akha xha ‘animal’.Hansson 89 AHKP: 493
Bisuʔu ‘egg’Bradley 79 PLo
Hani (Dazhai)a⁵⁵prefix u̱³³ ‘egg’Li Yongsui 86 Hani
Hani (Dazhai)a⁵⁵prefixu̱³³ ‘egg’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 170.31
Hani (Dazhai)u̱³³ ‘sit on, hatch (egg)’Li Yongsui 86 Hani
Hani (Lüchun)(xa³³prefix) u̱³³ n‘egg’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0450.41
Hani (Caiyuan)v̩̄³³ ‘sit on, hatch (egg)’Li Yongsui 86 Hani
Hani (Pijo)ɔ̀prefix vu ‘egg’Hansson 89 AHKP: 493
Hani (Gelanghe)u̱³³ ‘sit on, hatch (egg)’Li Yongsui 86 Hani
Hani (Wordlist)alprefix◦wuv ‘egg’Hani final -v is a tonemark in this transcription.Hansson 89 AHKP: 493
Hani (Shuikui)a⁵⁵prefix v̩̄³³ ‘egg’Li Yongsui 86 Hani
Hani (Shuikui)a⁵⁵prefixv̱̩³³ ‘egg’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 170.32
Hani (Shuikui)v̩̄³³ ‘sit on, hatch (egg)’Li Yongsui 86 Hani
Hani (Mojiang)(xa³³prefix) v̱³³ n‘egg’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0450.42
Mpiʔuʔ⁴ ‘egg’Bradley 79 PLo
Mpiʔuʔ⁴ ‘egg’Hansson 89 AHKP: 493
Pyenja33morpheme ʔu33 ‘egg’Shintani 09 Pyen: 042031
Pyenʔaŋ33morpheme ʔu33 ‘egg’Shintani 09 Pyen: 022010
Silaa33morpheme ṵ33 ‘egg’Kato 08 Lao: 104

6.1.2.4Southeastern Loloish9

Azhaɞ³³ ‘egg’Pelkey 11 Phula: 158
Azhaʑɛ³³morphemeɞ³³mɔ²¹morpheme ‘chicken egg’Pelkey 11 Phula: 159
Southern Mujiʑɛ³³morphemeɣə²¹ ‘chicken egg’Pelkey 11 Phula: 159
Pholau³³qɛ̠³¹morpheme ‘shell (egg, etc)’Pelkey 11 Phula: 241
Pholau⁵⁵ ‘egg’Pelkey 11 Phula: 158
Phuzaɣə³³ ‘egg’Pelkey 11 Phula: 158
Phuzaʑi⁵⁵morphemeɣə³³ ‘chicken egg’Pelkey 11 Phula: 159

8Bai5

Bai (Dali)vu̱⁴⁴ ‘sit on (egg)’Xu 84 Bai
Bai (Dali)v̩u⁴⁴ ‘hatch’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 786.35
Bai (Jianchuan)vu̱⁴⁴ ‘sit on (egg)’Xu 84 Bai

Cite this entry

STEDT etymon #301, *ʔu ‘EGG / BIRD’.
Stable link: https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/301
Data: STEDT v1.0 (2017). Accessed: [date].
References: cf. HPTB pp. 301, 1654, 1275, 1170, 1168, 88, 1234
BibTeX
@misc{stedt-301,
  title  = {{*ʔu 'EGG / BIRD'}},
  author = {STEDT},
  year   = {2017},
  note   = {Sino-Tibetan Etymological Dictionary and Thesaurus (STEDT) v1.0, etymon #301},
  url    = {https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/301}
}