Skip to content

STEDT

The Body › Body Parts › Life/Breathe/Exist › Breath/Breathe

STEDT #66

*s(y)am-s

BREATH / LUNG / SPIRIT / VOICE / HEART

Proto-Tibeto-Burman

Reconstruction analysis

handlesaminitialsrhymeam⪤semcoverS · NS

Connections

HPTB*m-sam ‘breath / voice’pp. 252, 532

HPTB*sem-s ‘soul / mind / heart / spirit / breath’pp. 311, 537

See alsoVOICE

Notes

Three phonetically similar etyma must be distinguished in this semantic area: #66 PTB *s(y)am-s BREATH / LUNG / SPIRIT / VOICE / HEART, #689 PTB *s/k-n(y)i-k/ŋ HEART / MIND / BRAIN, #5554 PTB *s-nyam THINK / BRAIN.

Chinese comparandum

心 OC *si̯əm, GSR #663a-b; B & S 2011: *səm; Mand. xīn.

Reflexes & cognates164 reflexes · 22 subgroups

0Sino-Tibetan (previously published reconstructions)1

*Sino-Tibetansjəm ‘heart / mind’Coblin 86: 93

0.1Tibeto-Burman (previously published reconstructions)5

*Tibeto-Burmanm-sam ‘breath / voice’Matisoff 03 HPTB: 612

*Tibeto-Burmansam ‘spirit, breath’Michailovsky 91 Kr: 22

*Tibeto-Burmansam ‘heart / mind’Coblin 86: 93

*Tibeto-Burmansem-s ‘soul / mind / heart / spirit / breath’Matisoff 03 HPTB: 612

*Tibeto-Burmansəm ‘breath, voice, mind, heart, soul, spirit, thought, think’French 83: 567

1.7.3.1Jingpho6

Jingphoǹprefix-sén ‘sound / voice’Matisoff 74 TJLB: 276

Jingphoniŋprefix◦sen / nprefix◦sen ‘sound, voice’Benedict 72 STC: 51n171

Jingphon̩³¹prefix sen⁵⁵ ‘sound’Liu 84

Jingphon³¹prefixsen⁵⁵ n‘sound’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0161.19

Jingphon³¹prefixsen⁵⁵; niŋ³¹prefixsen⁵⁵ ‘voice’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 512.47

Jingphonprefix◦hsen n‘voice’Marrison 67 Naga

2.1.1Western Himalayish7

Bunansem ‘heart / locus of emotions’Sharma, S.R. 91 Bu: 14.2

Kanaurisem ‘soul’Sharma, D.D. 88 Kn: 61

Pattani [Manchati]sem ‘heart’Sharma, D.D. 82 TH

Pattani [Manchati]sèm ‘mind / locus of thought’Sharma, S.R. 91 Ma: 14.1

Pattani [Manchati]sem lep#1647 PTB *lyap ⪤ *rap ‘COPULATE / LOVE’◦imorpheme v.‘love’Sharma, D.D. 82 TH

Pattani [Manchati]sem◦i ‘soul’Sharma, D.D. 82 TH

Pattani [Manchati]sem◦u ‘desire, wish’Sharma, D.D. 82 TH

2.1.2Bodic3

Tsangla (Motuo)sam◦lomorpheme-phimorpheme ‘think’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 727.7

Tshona (Wenlang)sem⁵⁵dʐɑn³⁵morphemethɑŋ⁵⁵morpheme ‘think’Lu 86 CuoM

Motuo Menbasam lomorpheme phimorpheme v.‘think’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1726.07

2.1.2.1Tibetan23

Tibetan (Alike)wsam lomorpheme ptaŋmorpheme v.‘think’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1726.05

Tibetan (Amdo:Zeku)sʰem dəg ‘get sad’Sun J 85 Amdo: 587

Tibetan (Amdo:Zeku)sʰem nbəsuffix ‘heart’Sun J 85 Amdo: 351

Tibetan (Batang)sɑ̃⁵⁵lᴜ⁵³morphemetõ⁵⁵morpheme v.‘think’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1726.03

Tibetan (Khams:Dege)sɑŋ⁵⁵lo⁵³morphemetoŋ⁵⁵morpheme ‘think’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 727.3

Tibetan (Lhasa)sam⁵² v.‘think’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1726.02

Tibetan (Lhasa)sam⁵³ ‘think’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 727.2

Tibetan (Lhasa)sam⁵⁵lo⁵⁵morpheme taŋ⁵⁵morpheme v.‘think’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1726.02

Tibetan (Written)bsam v.‘think’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1726.01

Tibetan (Written)bsam ‘think’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 727.1

Tibetan (Written)bsam-pasuffix ‘thought’Benedict 72 STC: 126n344

Tibetan (Written)bsams ‘thought’Coblin 86: 93

Tibetan (Written)sem(s) ‘soul, spirit, mind’Coblin 86: 93

Tibetan (Written)sem(s)-pasuffix ‘think’Benedict 72 STC: 126n344

Tibetan (Written)sem(s)-pasuffix bsamsmorpheme bsammorpheme somsmorpheme ‘think’Coblin 86: 93

Tibetan (Written)sem-pasuffix ‘think’Benedict 72 STC: 98n281

Tibetan (Written)sems ‘mind’Marrison 67 Naga

Tibetan (Written)sems ‘spirit’Marrison 67 Naga

Tibetan (Written)sems ‘think’Marrison 67 Naga

Tibetan (Written)sems mimorpheme skjidmorpheme pasuffix ‘bored’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1096.01

Tibetan (Written)sems-c̀ɑnmorpheme ‘animated being / man / animal’Jäschke 1881

Tibetan (Written)sems.busuffix ‘heart’Sun J 85 TbGl: 351

Tibetan (Written)sems.sdugmorpheme ‘get sad’Sun J 85 TbGl: 587

2.1.3Lepcha7

Lepchaaprefix-sóm ‘breath / life’Matisoff 87 BP

Lepchaaprefix-sóm ‘spirit, breath’Benedict 72 STC: 51n171

Lepchaaprefix-sóm ‘spirit, breath’Coblin 86: 93

Lepchaaprefix-sóm lóm#499 PTB *lwam ‘THROAT’ ‘windpipe / trachea’Matisoff 87 BP

Lepchaaprefix-sóm n̊anmorpheme lyan̊morpheme ‘lung’Matisoff 87 BP

Lepchasóm v.‘breathe’Plaisier 07 Lepcha

Lepchasóm ‘breath / life’Matisoff 87 BP

2.1.4Tamangish34

*TGTMᴬsem ‘mind / heart’Mazaudon 94 These: 935,960

Gurung¹saẽ ‘spirit / mind / soul’Mazaudon 94 These: 960

Manang (Gyaru)sᴇn² ‘mind’Nagano 84 Man: 249

Manang (Prakaa)³sẽ ‘mind / heart’Hoshi 84: 0244

Manang (Prakaa)³sẽ ‘mind / feeling’Hoshi 84: 0722

Manang (Prakaa)¹sẽ ‘mind / heart’Mazaudon 94 These: 936

Tamang (Risiangku)¹sem n‘feelings, heart (figuratively)’Mazaudon 91 TamQ: 14.2, 14.3

Tamang (Risiangku)¹sem ‘feelings / soul / heart (fig.)’Mazaudon 94 These: 960

Tamang (Sahu)sem-Timorpheme 'memmorpheme-pāmorpheme v‘learn by heart’Hale 73 CSD: 10b2.09

Tamang (Sahu)sem-Timorpheme 'memmorpheme-pamorpheme v.‘learn by heart’Taylor 72 TmVo: 21.B.9

Tamang (Sahu)¹sem ‘mind, soul, heart’Mazaudon 94 These: 960

Thakali (Marpha)⁵⁴sʌm ‘soul / heart’Mazaudon 94 These: 936

Thakali (Tukche)sɔm ‘heart’Hari 71a ThVo: 1.52.2

Thakali (Tukche)sɔm 'jɔh-wɔ ‘attractive’Hari 71a ThVo: 12.A.69

Thakali (Tukche)sɔm 'jɔh-wɔ ‘desirable’Hari 71a ThVo: 12.B.53

Thakali (Tukche)sɔm a-'jɔh-wɔ ‘repulsive’Hari 71a ThVo: 12.A.70

Thakali (Tukche)sɔm a-ki-wɔ ‘discontent’Hari 71a ThVo: 12.A.43

Thakali (Tukche)sɔm cjaŋ-pɔ ‘stingy’Hari 71a ThVo: 12.A.41

Thakali (Tukche)sɔm cʰjuŋ-lɔ ‘sad, be’Hari 71a ThVo: 10.B.3.17

Thakali (Tukche)sɔm ki-wɔ ‘content’Hari 71a ThVo: 12.A.42

Thakali (Tukche)sɔm lo-ki-nɔ 'lɔ-lɔ ‘amuse’Hari 71a ThVo: 11.B.1.16

Thakali (Tukche)sɔm nɔh-nɔ 'lɔ-lɔ ‘hurt (feelings)’Hari 71a ThVo: 10.B.1.74

Thakali (Tukche)sɔm sɔh-wɔ ‘generosity’Hari 71a ThVo: 10.A.5

Thakali (Tukche)sɔm sɔh-wɔ ‘kindness’Hari 71a ThVo: 10.A.8

Thakali (Tukche)sɔm tuh-wɔ ‘sad’Hari 71a ThVo: 12.A.45

Thakali (Tukche)sɔm tʰe-wɔ 'lɔ-lɔ ‘give in’Hari 71a ThVo: 10.B.1.43

Thakali (Tukche)sɔm-ce mɔhn-ci-wɔ ‘attentive’Hari 71a ThVo: 12.A.14

Thakali (Tukche)sɔm-ri lehm kjaŋ-lɔ ‘imagine’Hari 71a ThVo: 10.B.2.20

Thakali (Tukche)sɔm-sɔh-wɔ ‘generous’Hari 71a ThVo: 12.A.40

Thakali (Tukche)sɔm◦ta 'kʰɔ-wɔ ‘agreement’Hari 71a ThVo: 11.A.42

Thakali (Tukche)sɔm◦ta a-'kʰɔ-wɔ ‘disagreement’Hari 71a ThVo: 11.A.43

Thakali (Tukche)sɔm◦tɔ 'kʰɔ-lɔ v.‘like’Hari 71a ThVo: 10.B.3.10

Thakali (Tukche)ᴴsəm ‘heart’Mazaudon 94 These: 936

Thakali (Tukche)ᴴsəm ‘heart’Mazaudon 94 These: 960

2.2Newar1

Newarsõ ‘lung’Shakya 89: 9.2

2.3Kiranti2

*Kirantisam ‘breath’Michailovsky 91 Kr: 22

*SE Kirantisom ‘lung’Michailovsky 91 Kr: 114

2.3.1Eastern Kiranti5

Limbusam ‘soul, spirit, ghost’Michailovsky 91 Kr: 22

Limbusom ‘lung’Michailovsky 89 Lm

Limbusom ‘lung’Matisoff 87 BP

Limbusoːm ‘lung’Michailovsky 91 Kr: 114

Yakhasɔm ‘lung’Kohn 90: 9.2

2.3.2Southern Kiranti14

Bantawasam ‘vapor’Michailovsky 91 Kr: 22

Bantawasom-phumorpheme-rokmorpheme ‘lung’Matisoff 78 VSTB: ld

Bantawasom◦phomorpheme◦rokmorpheme ‘lung’Rai 84 BnDc: 65

Bantawasom◦phumorpheme◦rokmorpheme ‘lung’Michailovsky 91 Kr: 114

Bantawasom◦pumorpheme◦rokmorpheme ‘lung’Michailovsky 91 Kr: 114

Chamlingsam ‘idea, soul, image’Michailovsky 91 Kr: 22

Chamlingsam◦aimorpheme ‘spirit of clan ancestor’Michailovsky 91 Kr: 22

Chamlingsyam ‘heart / love’Winter 85: 34

Chamlingsyam◦buluy*morpheme ‘heart’Winter 85: 34

Kulungsom ‘breath, steam’Michailovsky 91 Kr: 23

Kulungsomˍ ‘breath, steam’Rai 75 Kul

Kulungsomˍ◦pəymorpheme-əmorpheme be v.‘short of breath [he is short of breath]’Rai 75 Kul

Kulungsəm ‘lung’Michailovsky 91 Kr: 114

Kulungsəmˍ ‘lung’Rai 75 Kul

2.3.3Central Kiranti9

Dumisam ‘spirit, mood, soul’Michailovsky 91 Kr: 22

Dumisam◦pheʔmorpheme◦lu#1269 PTB *r-lu(ŋ/k) ‘STONE’PTani *lɯŋ ‘STONE’PKC *luŋ ‘STONE / ROCK’PCN *luŋ ‘STONE, ROCK’PTk *luŋ ‘STONE’PBG *loʔŋ-tai ‘STONE’PNN *C̥-luŋ ‘STONE’TGTM *ᴮʰjuŋ ‘STONE’PKir *ʔluŋ ‘STONE’PLB *k-lok ⪤ *k-loŋ ‘STONE’PL *k-lokᴸ ‘STONE’PKar *loŋᴮ ‘STONE, ROCK’ ‘1) the Omniscient Stone, one of several epithets for the’Driem 93 Dumi

Dumisoːm ‘breath’Michailovsky 91 Kr: 23

Dumisoːm ‘breath’Driem 93 Dumi

Dumisoːʔm◦kaʔmorpheme◦himmorpheme ‘breathing, animate’Michailovsky 91 Kr: 23

Dumisoːʔm◦kaʔmorpheme◦himmorpheme ‘breathing, respiring, animate.’Driem 93 Dumi

Khaling'som ‘breath, life’Michailovsky 91 Kr: 23

Khaling'som ‘breath / life’Matisoff 87 BP

Khalingsäm ‘steam, vapor, essence’Michailovsky 91 Kr: 22

2.3.4Western Kiranti11

Bahingsam ‘breath’Michailovsky 91 Kr: 23

Bahingsam ‘breath, life’Benedict 72 STC: 51n171

Bahingsam ‘breath, life’Coblin 86: 93

Bahingsœ◦pœmorpheme◦rœmorpheme ‘lung’Michailovsky 91 Kr: 114

Hayuhem◦cumorpheme ‘breath / life’Matisoff 87 BP

Hayuhẽ◦khimorpheme ‘breath / life’Matisoff 87 BP

Thulungsam ‘breath, steam’Michailovsky 91 Kr: 23

Thulungsam ‘breath, steam, sound (of cymbals)’Allen 75

Thulungsam khetsuffix- v.‘breathe’Allen 75

Thulungsām◦asuffix ‘breath / life’Matisoff 87 BP

Thulungsam◦ceomorpheme ‘<breath> weak respiration of a dying man’Allen 75

3.3rGyalrongic3

Ergong (Northern)ftse³³morpheme sem⁵³ ~ sem⁵³ ɕʰəkmorpheme ‘heart / locus of emotions’Sun H 91 ErNQ: 14.2

Ergong (Daofu)seŋ ‘heart’Dai 89 Daof: 9.3

Ergong (Daofu)sheŋ ‘heart / locus of personality’Dai 89 Daof: 14.3

3.3.1rGyalrong12

Caodengsem ‘heart (abstract)’Sun J 97 Cao

rGyalrong (Maerkang)səm nor kɐ lɐt v.‘recall / recollect’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1388.11

rGyalrong (Maerkang)səm nɟjot kɑ pɑ v.‘regret’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1376.11

rGyalrong (Maerkang)səm zdək n‘pain / agony’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0688.11

rGyalrong (Maerkang)səm zdək ‘sad’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1120.11

rGyalrong (Maerkang)səm◦mnot kɑpɑ v.‘think’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 1726.11

rGyalrong (Rangtang Puxicun)sʰem ‘heart’Nagano 2013 rGyDB: 0113

rGyalrongtəprefix-sɛm ‘heart / locus of emotions’Dai 89 Jiar: 14.2

Caodengtəprefix-sɛm mɐ-kə-vde ‘sad’Sun J 97 Cao

rGyalrong (Eastern)wuprefix◦səm kəwudənmorpheme ‘heart / locus of emotions’Sun H 91 rEQ: 14.2

rGyalrongsem lo ‘mind’Nagano 97 GyQ: 14.1

rGBenzhentəprefix-səm kə-bdə ‘carefree’Sun J 97 rGB

6.1.1Burmish9

Burmese (Rangoon)ɑ⁵³prefixtθɑ̃²² n‘sound’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0161.27

Burmese (Spoken Rangoon)ɑprefix tθɑ̃²² ‘voice’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 512.40

Burmese (Written)ăprefix◦sam ‘sound’Benedict 72 STC: 51n171

Burmese (Written)aprefix◦san n‘voice’Marrison 67 Naga

Burmese (Written)saṁ ‘sound; report; rumor’Benedict 76 WBur

Burmese (Written)ɑ¹prefixthɑṁ² ‘voice’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 512.39

Burmese (Written)ɑ¹prefixtθɑṁ² n‘sound’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0161.26

Burmese (Written)əprefix-saṁ ‘sound; report; rumor’Benedict 76 WBur

Burmese (Written)ʔəprefix◦sam ‘sound, report, rumor’Matisoff 74 TJLB: 276

6.1.2.2Central Loloish1

Jinuope³³morphemesɯ³³ ‘heart’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 272.34

8Bai12

All these Baic forms are undoubtedly borrowed from Chinese.

Bai (Bijiang)sẽ⁵⁵ ‘heart’Xu 84 Bai

Bai (Bijiang)sẽ⁵⁵ ‘heart’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 272.37

Bai (Dali)ɕi³⁵ ‘heart’Xu 84 Bai

Bai (Dali)ɕi³⁵o⁴⁴ ‘heart’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 272.35

Bai (Jianchuan)ɕĩ⁵⁵ ‘heart’Xu 84 Bai

Bai (Jianchuan)ɕĩ⁵⁵ n‘heart’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0144.48

Bai (Jianchuan)ɕĩ⁵⁵ ‘heart’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 272.36

Bai (Jianchuan)ɕĩ⁵⁵ ‘heart’Zhao 90: 9.3

Bai (Jianchuan)ɕĩ⁵⁵ kʰo³³morpheme ‘heart / locus of emotions’Zhao 90: 14.2

Bai (Jianchuan)ɕĩ⁵⁵ tɕʰuæ̱⁴⁴morpheme ‘heartbeat’Zhao 90: 9.3.1

Bai (Jianchuan)ɕĩ⁵⁵ ŋṽ̱ˌ⁴²morpheme ‘heart / locus of emotions’Zhao 90: 14.2

Bai (Jianchuan)ɕĩ⁵⁵ ŋṽ̩⁵⁵morpheme ‘heart / locus of emotions’Zhao 90: 14.2

9.0.1Old Chinese4

Chinese (Old/Mid)si̯əm ‘heart’Chou 72: 663a-b

Chinese (Old/Mid)si̯əm/si̯əm ‘heart’Karlgren 57 GSR: 663a-b

Chinese (Old)sjəm ‘heart / mind’Coblin 86: 93

Chinese (Old)sjɨm ‘heart’Baxter 92: 1766

9.0.2Middle Chinese1

Chinese (Middle)sjəm ‘heart’Coblin 86: 93

9.0.3Modern Chinese3

Chinese (Mandarin)shin◦tzahngmorpheme ‘heart’Sun J 85 ChGl: 351

Chinese (Mandarin)sin ‘heart’Karlgren 57 GSR: 663a-b

Chinese (Mandarin)xīn ‘heart’Evans 91

Cite this entry

STEDT etymon #66, *s(y)am-s ‘BREATH / LUNG / SPIRIT / VOICE / HEART’.

Stable link: https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/66

Data: STEDT v1.0 (2017). Accessed: [date].

References: cf. STC p.51, HPTB pp.252, 532, 311, 537

BibTeX

@misc{stedt-66,
  title  = {{*s(y)am-s 'BREATH / LUNG / SPIRIT / VOICE / HEART'}},
  author = {STEDT},
  year   = {2017},
  note   = {Sino-Tibetan Etymological Dictionary and Thesaurus (STEDT) v1.0, etymon #66},
  url    = {https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/66}
}