STEDT #5494
*swa-n
ONION / GARLIC
Notes
This root is well-attested in Tibeto-Burman and Chinese, but has a fortuitous resemblance to an Indo-Aryan root (Skt. laśuna-, Hindi lahsun, Nepali lasun). In fact, many Tibeto-Burman languages (e.g. Maru la³¹sɔn³⁵, Chang lasung, Lotha lasen, Bantawa losuna, and Jingpho la³¹son³³) have borrowed the Indic root. In a couple of cases, a compound seems to be an Indic-TB hybrid, e.g. Achang lɑ³¹suɑn⁵⁵.
Compound formations with this etymon show an interesting range of semantic associations, including BITTER (e.g. Lisu), CHICKEN (e.g. Burmese), WHITE (e.g. Burmese), and SMELLY (e.g. Lahu).
Chinese comparandum
蒜 OC *swɑ̂n, GSR #175b; Mand. suàn.
Reflexes & cognates96 reflexes · 13 subgroups
0.1Tibeto-Burman (previously published reconstructions)2
1.2.2Central Chin1
3.2Qiangic9
4Nungic12
6.1.1Burmish21
Burmese (Rangoon)tɕɛʔ⁴#1606 PTB *k-rak ‘FOWL / CHICKEN’PTani *rok ‘CHICKEN’tθũ²²meʔ⁴morpheme n‘onion / scallion’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0423.27
Burmese (Rangoon)tɕɛʔ⁴#1606 PTB *k-rak ‘FOWL / CHICKEN’PTani *rok ‘CHICKEN’tθũ²²phju²²#1235 PTB *plu ‘WHITE / SILVER / MONEY’PLB *plu¹ ‘WHITE / SILVER / MONEY’ n‘garlic’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0424.27
Burmese (Standard Spoken)ce'#1606 PTB *k-rak ‘FOWL / CHICKEN’PTani *rok ‘CHICKEN’◦thun ‘onion’Okell 71
Burmese (Spoken Rangoon)tɕɛʔ⁴⁴#1606 PTB *k-rak ‘FOWL / CHICKEN’PTani *rok ‘CHICKEN’tθũ²² ‘onion (green)’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 209.40
Burmese (Spoken Rangoon)tɕɛʔ⁴⁴#1606 PTB *k-rak ‘FOWL / CHICKEN’PTani *rok ‘CHICKEN’tθũ²²phju²²#1235 PTB *plu ‘WHITE / SILVER / MONEY’PLB *plu¹ ‘WHITE / SILVER / MONEY’ ‘garlic’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 210.40
Burmese (Written)krak#1606 PTB *k-rak ‘FOWL / CHICKEN’PTani *rok ‘CHICKEN’-swan ‘onion’Benedict 76 WBur
Burmese (Written)krak#1606 PTB *k-rak ‘FOWL / CHICKEN’PTani *rok ‘CHICKEN’-swan ‘garlic’LaPolla 87: 99
Burmese (Written)krak#1606 PTB *k-rak ‘FOWL / CHICKEN’PTani *rok ‘CHICKEN’◦swan ‘onion’Marrison 67 Naga
Burmese (Written)krak#1606 PTB *k-rak ‘FOWL / CHICKEN’PTani *rok ‘CHICKEN’◦swan◦phrū#1235 PTB *plu ‘WHITE / SILVER / MONEY’PLB *plu¹ ‘WHITE / SILVER / MONEY’ ‘garlic’Marrison 67 Naga
Burmese (Written)krɑk#1606 PTB *k-rak ‘FOWL / CHICKEN’PTani *rok ‘CHICKEN’ thon² ‘onion (green)’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 209.39
Burmese (Written)krɑk#1606 PTB *k-rak ‘FOWL / CHICKEN’PTani *rok ‘CHICKEN’-swɑn ‘onion’Chou 72: 175b
Burmese (Written)krɑk⁴#1606 PTB *k-rak ‘FOWL / CHICKEN’PTani *rok ‘CHICKEN’ tθon² mrit⁴morpheme n‘onion / scallion’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0423.26
Burmese (Written)krɑk⁴#1606 PTB *k-rak ‘FOWL / CHICKEN’PTani *rok ‘CHICKEN’◦tθon²◦phru²#1235 PTB *plu ‘WHITE / SILVER / MONEY’PLB *plu¹ ‘WHITE / SILVER / MONEY’ n‘garlic’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0424.26
Burmese (Written)krɑk#1606 PTB *k-rak ‘FOWL / CHICKEN’PTani *rok ‘CHICKEN’◦thon²◦phru²#1235 PTB *plu ‘WHITE / SILVER / MONEY’PLB *plu¹ ‘WHITE / SILVER / MONEY’ ‘garlic’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 210.39
Hpun (Northern)kʃ̆wèmorpheme, kămorpheme◦ʃwè phyú#1235 PTB *plu ‘WHITE / SILVER / MONEY’PLB *plu¹ ‘WHITE / SILVER / MONEY’ (=w ‘garlic / onion (cf. WHITE)’Henderson 86 Hpun
6.1.2Loloish1
6.1.2.1Northern Loloish17
Gazhuokha³¹#229 PTB *b-ka-n/m/ŋ ‘BITTER / SALTY / BILE / LIVER’PTani *ko ~ *kaː ‘BITTER’PKC *khaa-I, khaat ⪤ *khaak-II ‘BITTER’PCN *a-khaʔ ‘BITTER’PTk *kʰa ‘BITTER’PBG *bi-ka ‘LIVER’PNN *C̥-kʰaᴮ ‘BITTER’PL *ka² ‘BITTER’PKar *khaᴮ ‘BITTER’si³³ n‘garlic’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0424.47
Lalokhà#229 PTB *b-ka-n/m/ŋ ‘BITTER / SALTY / BILE / LIVER’PTani *ko ~ *kaː ‘BITTER’PKC *khaa-I, khaat ⪤ *khaak-II ‘BITTER’PCN *a-khaʔ ‘BITTER’PTk *kʰa ‘BITTER’PBG *bi-ka ‘LIVER’PNN *C̥-kʰaᴮ ‘BITTER’PL *ka² ‘BITTER’PKar *khaᴮ ‘BITTER’-sjý ‘garlic’Björverud 94
6.1.2.2Central Loloish13
Lahuśū-phu#1235 PTB *plu ‘WHITE / SILVER / MONEY’PLB *plu¹ ‘WHITE / SILVER / MONEY’ ‘onion’LaPolla 87: 99
Lahuśū-phu#1235 PTB *plu ‘WHITE / SILVER / MONEY’PLB *plu¹ ‘WHITE / SILVER / MONEY’-nù#1415 PTB *m/s-nam ‘SMELL’PTani *nam ‘SMELL (v.)’PKC *nam ‘SMELL (v.)’PCC *hniim ‘SNIFF / SMELL (v.)’PCN *m-hnaːm ‘SMELL / STINK’PTk *nam ‘SMELL’PKar *(h)nɨmᴬ ‘SMELL (v.)’ ‘garlic’Contra DL:1195, Lahu -phu- in this compound seems to mean WHITE rather than the homophonous morpheme BULBOUS OBJECT.LaPolla 87: 99
Lisu (Central)hkwa⁵#229 PTB *b-ka-n/m/ŋ ‘BITTER / SALTY / BILE / LIVER’PTani *ko ~ *kaː ‘BITTER’PKC *khaa-I, khaat ⪤ *khaak-II ‘BITTER’PCN *a-khaʔ ‘BITTER’PTk *kʰa ‘BITTER’PBG *bi-ka ‘LIVER’PNN *C̥-kʰaᴮ ‘BITTER’PL *ka² ‘BITTER’PKar *khaᴮ ‘BITTER’-sye⁴ ‘garlic (sp.)’Fraser 22
Lisukhuɑ³¹#229 PTB *b-ka-n/m/ŋ ‘BITTER / SALTY / BILE / LIVER’PTani *ko ~ *kaː ‘BITTER’PKC *khaa-I, khaat ⪤ *khaak-II ‘BITTER’PCN *a-khaʔ ‘BITTER’PTk *kʰa ‘BITTER’PBG *bi-ka ‘LIVER’PNN *C̥-kʰaᴮ ‘BITTER’PL *ka² ‘BITTER’PKar *khaᴮ ‘BITTER’se⁴⁴ ‘garlic’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 210.27
Lisu (Northern)khwa²¹#229 PTB *b-ka-n/m/ŋ ‘BITTER / SALTY / BILE / LIVER’PTani *ko ~ *kaː ‘BITTER’PKC *khaa-I, khaat ⪤ *khaak-II ‘BITTER’PCN *a-khaʔ ‘BITTER’PTk *kʰa ‘BITTER’PBG *bi-ka ‘LIVER’PNN *C̥-kʰaᴮ ‘BITTER’PL *ka² ‘BITTER’PKar *khaᴮ ‘BITTER’sø³³ N‘garlic’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)khwa²¹#229 PTB *b-ka-n/m/ŋ ‘BITTER / SALTY / BILE / LIVER’PTani *ko ~ *kaː ‘BITTER’PKC *khaa-I, khaat ⪤ *khaak-II ‘BITTER’PCN *a-khaʔ ‘BITTER’PTk *kʰa ‘BITTER’PBG *bi-ka ‘LIVER’PNN *C̥-kʰaᴮ ‘BITTER’PL *ka² ‘BITTER’PKar *khaᴮ ‘BITTER’sø³³ ɔ⁵⁵morphemeɲɔ³³morpheme ‘garlic bolt’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)khwa²¹#229 PTB *b-ka-n/m/ŋ ‘BITTER / SALTY / BILE / LIVER’PTani *ko ~ *kaː ‘BITTER’PKC *khaa-I, khaat ⪤ *khaak-II ‘BITTER’PCN *a-khaʔ ‘BITTER’PTk *kʰa ‘BITTER’PBG *bi-ka ‘LIVER’PNN *C̥-kʰaᴮ ‘BITTER’PL *ka² ‘BITTER’PKar *khaᴮ ‘BITTER’sø³³baʔ²¹morpheme ‘garlic clove’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)khwa²¹#229 PTB *b-ka-n/m/ŋ ‘BITTER / SALTY / BILE / LIVER’PTani *ko ~ *kaː ‘BITTER’PKC *khaa-I, khaat ⪤ *khaak-II ‘BITTER’PCN *a-khaʔ ‘BITTER’PTk *kʰa ‘BITTER’PBG *bi-ka ‘LIVER’PNN *C̥-kʰaᴮ ‘BITTER’PL *ka² ‘BITTER’PKar *khaᴮ ‘BITTER’sø³³dzi³³morpheme ‘garlic shoot’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)khwa²¹#229 PTB *b-ka-n/m/ŋ ‘BITTER / SALTY / BILE / LIVER’PTani *ko ~ *kaː ‘BITTER’PKC *khaa-I, khaat ⪤ *khaak-II ‘BITTER’PCN *a-khaʔ ‘BITTER’PTk *kʰa ‘BITTER’PBG *bi-ka ‘LIVER’PNN *C̥-kʰaᴮ ‘BITTER’PL *ka² ‘BITTER’PKar *khaᴮ ‘BITTER’sø³³phja²¹morpheme ‘garlic leaf’Bradley 94 Lisu
6.1.2.3Southern Loloish12
Hani (Dazhai)xa³¹#229 PTB *b-ka-n/m/ŋ ‘BITTER / SALTY / BILE / LIVER’PTani *ko ~ *kaː ‘BITTER’PKC *khaa-I, khaat ⪤ *khaak-II ‘BITTER’PCN *a-khaʔ ‘BITTER’PTk *kʰa ‘BITTER’PBG *bi-ka ‘LIVER’PNN *C̥-kʰaᴮ ‘BITTER’PL *ka² ‘BITTER’PKar *khaᴮ ‘BITTER’se⁵⁵ ‘garlic’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 210.31
Hani (Lüchun)xa³¹#229 PTB *b-ka-n/m/ŋ ‘BITTER / SALTY / BILE / LIVER’PTani *ko ~ *kaː ‘BITTER’PKC *khaa-I, khaat ⪤ *khaak-II ‘BITTER’PCN *a-khaʔ ‘BITTER’PTk *kʰa ‘BITTER’PBG *bi-ka ‘LIVER’PNN *C̥-kʰaᴮ ‘BITTER’PL *ka² ‘BITTER’PKar *khaᴮ ‘BITTER’se⁵⁵ n‘garlic’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0424.41
6.1.2.4Southeastern Loloish5
6.2Naxi2
9.0.1Old Chinese3
9.0.3Modern Chinese1
Cite this entry
STEDT etymon #5494,
*swa-n ‘ONION / GARLIC’.Stable link:
https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/5494Data: STEDT v1.0 (2017). Accessed: [date].
References: cf. HPTB pp. 177, 301, 446, 448
BibTeX
@misc{stedt-5494,
title = {{*swa-n 'ONION / GARLIC'}},
author = {STEDT},
year = {2017},
note = {Sino-Tibetan Etymological Dictionary and Thesaurus (STEDT) v1.0, etymon #5494},
url = {https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/5494}
}