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STEDT #504

*r/m-nil

GUMS
Proto-Tibeto-Burman · exemplary

Reconstruction analysis

handles/r/m-initialnrhymeilcoverM · L

Intermediate reconstructions

Kuki-Chin*ha-nii ⪤ *-hnii ‘GUMS’PKC #816

Connections

HPTB*r/s-ni-l ‘gums’pp. 48, 103, 241, 410, 423, 427

Notes

As STC surmises (note 58, p. 16), this root is very likely connected with #2499 PTB *r-ni RED, so that the original meaning seems to have been “tooth-redness”.

The *m- prefix (attested in Paangkua, Moyon, Angami) seems to be secondary in this root. This is reminiscent of the development of prefixal r- in Jingpho, which has regularly become a syllabic nasal. See STC:109-110 and HPTB:129.

A few languages (Kanauri, Written Tibetan) have developed an s- prefix, which is clearly a reduction of #632 PTB *s/p-wa TOOTH. The WT forms so-rnyil and snyil illustrate this prefixization process.

Chinese comparandum

OC *śi̯ən, GSR #560i; Mand. shěn.
OC *śi̯ən, GSR #560j; Mand. shěn.

Reflexes & cognates85 reflexes · 32 subgroups

0Sino-Tibetan (previously published reconstructions)1

*Sino-Tibetanrnyil/snyil ‘gums’Coblin 86: 90

0.1Tibeto-Burman (previously published reconstructions)8

*Tibeto-Burmanr-nil ~ s-nil ‘gums’Coblin 86: 90
*Tibeto-Burmanr-nils-nil ‘gums’Benedict 72 STC: 3

1.2.2Central Chin9

1.6Mru1

Mrutăni¹ ‘gums’Luce 85: R.84

2.1.1Western Himalayish14

Byangsihnil n.‘gums’Sharma 2003: 634
Kanauristil ‘gums’Matisoff 87 BP
Kanauristil / til ‘gums’Benedict 72 STC: 35n117
Kanauristiltil ‘gums’Benedict 72 STC: 3
Kanauristilh ‘gums’Matisoff 87 BP
Kanauritil ‘gums’Matisoff 87 BP
Kanauritilh ‘gums’Matisoff 87 BP
Thebornil ‘gums (STC)’Matisoff 87 BP

2.1.4Tamangish5

*TGTMᴬŋil ‘gums’Mazaudon 94 These: 208

2.4Kham-Magar-Chepang1

3.3rGyalrongic1

3.3.1rGyalrong1

rGyalrong (NW)prefixrne ‘gums’Sun H 91 rNW: 3.7.3

6.1.1Burmish3

Bolaŋɛ⁵⁵ ‘gums’Dai 89 Bola: 164
Lashiŋjəŋ³¹ ‘gums’Dai 89 Lash: 3.7.3

6.1.2.3Southern Loloish2

Ugongɲɪ̂ŋ ‘gums’Bradley 93 Ugo: 3.7.3

9.0.1Old Chinese2

Chinese (Old/Mid)śi̯ən/śi̯ĕn ‘tooth (base of) (=gums)’Chou 72: 560j

Cite this entry

STEDT etymon #504, *r/m-nil ‘GUMS’.
Stable link: https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/504
Data: STEDT v1.0 (2017). Accessed: [date].
References: cf. STC#003; n.58, n.265, HPTB
BibTeX
@misc{stedt-504,
  title  = {{*r/m-nil 'GUMS'}},
  author = {STEDT},
  year   = {2017},
  note   = {Sino-Tibetan Etymological Dictionary and Thesaurus (STEDT) v1.0, etymon #504},
  url    = {https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/504}
}