STEDT
The Body  ›  Limbs, Joints, and Body Measures  ›  Hand, Arm, Wing
STEDT #696

*yak

ARM / HAND / ARMPIT / TICKLE
Proto-Tibeto-Burman · exemplary

Reconstruction analysis

handleyakinitialyrhymeakcoverL · T

Intermediate reconstructions

Kuki-Chin*yak ‘ARMPIT’PKC #1185
Tamangish*ᴬʰjaː ‘HAND’

Connections

Allofams
HPTB (PLB)*ʔ-gyakᴴ ‘cubit’p. 51
HPTB*g-yak ‘armpit / tickle / cubit’pp. 51, 317, 326, 329

Chinese comparandum

亦 OC *zi̯ɑ̆k, GSR #800a-c; Li 1971: *rak; Baxter 1992: (*ljAk); B & S 2011: *m‑q(r)Ak; Schuessler 2007:568; Mand. yì.

掖 OC *zi̯ɑ̆k, GSR #800l; Li 1971: *rak; Baxter 1992: (*ljAk); B & S 2011: --; Schuessler 2007:568; Mand. yì.

掖 OC *zi̯ɑ̆k, GSR #800m; Li 1971: *rak; Baxter 1992: (*ljAk); B & S 2011: --; Schuessler 2007:568; Mand. yì.

These three characters are considered by GSR to represent the same lexical item.

ZJH: It seems likely, as noted in Handel 2009:133-5, that the Chinese word began with *l- rather than Karlgren’s *z-, so that this word is a perfect match for the basic PTB root #695 PTB *lak HAND/LIMB rather than #696 PTB *yak ARM / HAND / ARMPIT / TICKLE. Schuessler (2007:568), who like Baxter (1992) reconstructs initial *j-, compares this Chinese word instead to PTB *(g-)yak just as Matisoff does here. Baxter & Sagart’s most recent (2011) reconstruction, *m-q(r)Ak, would seem to make the comparison to PTB problematic, but the general correspondence patterns of their uvular initial *q- in Tibeto-Burman are unclear, so the possibility of a comparison of the root *qAk to PTB *g-yak is not out of the question (*m- is a human body part prefix). Because Baxter and Sagart have not published a full explanation of their individual reconstructions, it is not clear why they have chosen to reconstruct *q- for this word, but most likely it is because uvular initials are reconstructed for other words in GSR #800 and #954.

Reflexes & cognates243 reflexes · 20 subgroups

1.1.2Deng3

Darang [Taraon]bu⁵⁵morpheme jɑ³⁵ ‘fist’Sun H 80 MLD
Darang [Taraon]bu⁵⁵morphemejɑ³⁵ n‘fist’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0114.22
Darang [Taraon]bu⁵⁵morphemejɑ³⁵ ‘fist’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 252.49

1.2Kuki-Chin1

*Chinyak ‘ARMPIT’VanBik 09 PKC: 1185

1.2.1.1Northern Chin1

Thadozàʔ noy ‘armpit’VanBik 09 PKC: 1185

1.2.2Central Chin9

Khualsimzak¹ ‘armpit’Luce 85: O.6
Lai (Hakha)zak² ‘armpit’Luce 85: O.6
Lushai [Mizo]za v‘tickle; gave the pins and needles’Bhaskararao 96 CDB: 3112
Lushai [Mizo]zàk n‘arm-pit, the axilla’VanBik 09 PKC: 1185
Lushai [Mizo]zak⁴ ‘armpit’Luce 85: O.6
Lushai [Mizo]zɑk<khrɑ[k] ‘armpit’Chou 72: 800m

1.3“Naga” Areal Group1

1.6Mru1

Mruyāk ‘armpit’Løffler 66 Mru

1.7.1.1Bodo31

Dimasayao◦gamorpheme◦da ‘right-hand’Marrison 67 Naga
Dimasayao◦gomorpheme◦domorpheme ‘arm’Marrison 67 Naga
Dimasayao◦shermorpheme ‘armlet’Marrison 67 Naga
Dimasayao◦si ‘left-hand’Marrison 67 Naga
Dimasayao◦sugangmorpheme ‘elbow’Marrison 67 Naga
Dimasayao◦sugurmorpheme ‘claw’Marrison 67 Naga
Kokborokyaʔ-ši ‘left’Tripuri 88
Lalung [Tiwa]ia muthiloanword ‘fist’Balawan 65: 30
Lalung [Tiwa]iak anthimorpheme ‘wrist’Balawan 65: 30
Lalung [Tiwa]iak◦thimorpheme ‘left hand’Balawan 65: 30
Lalung [Tiwa]ia◦khuimorpheme ‘arm’Balawan 65: 30
Lalung [Tiwa]ia◦phapmorpheme ‘forearm’Balawan 65: 30
Lalung [Tiwa]ia◦phlimorpheme ‘footprint’Balawan 65: 30
Mecheak-cimorpheme ‘left’Weidert 87 TBTo: 588

1.7.1.2Garo3

Garojak-a◦si ‘left’Weidert 87 TBTo: 588
Garo (Bangladesh)jak-pasuffix ‘palm of hand; end of an insect leg’Burling 92 GaBa

1.7.2.1Tangsa-Nocte12

Tangsa (Yogli)yak◦lukmorpheme ‘wrist’Marrison 67 Naga

1.7.2.2Konyak-Chang30

Changyik ‘hand’Marrison 67 Naga
Changyik ‘hand, arm’Note the secondary palatalization of the vowel in Chang yik.French 83: 500
Changyik sanmorpheme ‘claw’French 83: 469
Changyik◦mangmorpheme ‘palm (of hand)’Marrison 67 Naga: 187
Changyik◦sanmorpheme ‘claw’Marrison 67 Naga
Konyakyak ‘hand, arm’French 83: 500
Konyakyak koŋmorpheme ‘elbow’French 83: 473
Konyakyak-kongmorpheme ‘elbow’Marrison 67 Naga
Konyakyak-künmorpheme ‘claw’Marrison 67 Naga
Konyakyak-kənmorpheme ‘claw’French 83: 469
Konyakyak◦nya ‘left-hand’Marrison 67 Naga
Konyakyak◦pha ‘palm (of hand)’Marrison 67 Naga: 187
Konyak (Wakching)yak-kɯ́nmorpheme ‘nail’Weidert 87 TBTo: 290
Konyak (Wakching)yak-kɯ́nmorpheme ‘nail (finger)’Weidert 87 TBTo: 87

2.1.2Bodic9

Baimaiɑ³⁵ ‘hand’Sun H 91 Baim: 6.1.7
Baimaiɑ¹³ ndzɿ¹³morpheme ru⁵³morpheme ‘finger’Sun H 91 Baim: 7.1
Baimaiɑ¹³ po³⁵morpheme uɑ⁵³morpheme ‘forearm / lower arm’Sun H 91 Baim: 6.1.5
Baimaiɑ¹³ tɑ¹³morpheme tsɑ⁵³morpheme ‘back of hand’Sun H 91 Baim: 6.1.7.2
Baimaiɑ¹³ tɕi³⁵morpheme ‘palm’Sun H 91 Baim: 6.1.7.1
Baimaiɑ¹³ tɕy¹³morpheme tsi⁵³morpheme ‘elbow’Sun H 91 Baim: 6.1.4
Tsangla (Motuo)ja¹³ naŋ¹³morpheme ‘span (hand)’Zhang Jichuan 86
Tsangla (Motuo)ja◦naŋmorpheme ‘span (hand)’Sun H 80 MLD

2.1.2.1Tibetan1

Tibetan (Balti)yo◦ce·morpheme ‘left-handed’Rangan 75: 79

2.1.4Tamangish76

*TGTMᴬʰjaː ‘hand’Mazaudon 78 Tam: 13
Chantyaldaynemorpheme ya ‘right hand’Noonan 92: 6.1.7.4
ChantyaldewreNepali loanword ya ‘left hand’Noonan 92: 6.1.7.5
Gurung (Ghachok)yo ḁ̄ːmāːmorpheme ‘thumb’Matisoff 87 BP
Gurung (Ghachok)yo ãːmaːmorpheme ‘thumb’Glover 72 GuVo: 2.A.55
Manang (Gyaru)yaː¹ ta¹morpheme li¹ ‘palm’Nagano 84 Man: 030-01
Manang (Prakaa)³yaː◦cʰamnaŋmorpheme ‘fist’Hoshi 84: 0503b
Tamang (Sahu)yaː kyoːhpamorpheme adj.‘clever (hand)’Taylor 72 TmVo: 12.A.20
Tamang (Sahu)yāː pāpā ‘thumb’Matisoff 87 BP
Tamang (Sahu)yaː◦papa ‘thumb’Taylor 72 TmVo: 2.52
Thakali'pamorpheme-yā kyāng-pa-e mih n‘left-handed person’Hale 73 CSD: 10a.15
Thakali (Tukche)'pɔmorpheme-ja ‘left’Hari 71a ThVo: 12.C.19
Thakali (Tukche)'pɔmorpheme-ja ‘arm (left)’Hari 71a ThVo: 2.A.50
Thakali (Tukche)'pɔmorpheme-ja kjaŋ-pɔ-e mih ‘left-handed person’Hari 71a ThVo: 10.A.15
Thakali (Tukche)ja 'kjɔhpɔmorpheme ‘thumb’Hari 71a ThVo: 2.A.55
Thakali (Tukche)kimorpheme-ja ‘arm (right)’Hari 71a ThVo: 2.A.49
Thakali (Tukche)yā-'kyahpamorpheme ‘thumb’Matisoff 87 BP
Thakali (Tukche)ᴴtʰin ‘palm (hand)’morpheme · morpheme · morphemeMazaudon 94 These: 489

2.2Newar2

Newaryā◦kumorpheme, yā-kwamorpheme ‘underarm / armpit’Shakya 89: 6.1.1

3.2Qiangic40

Pumi (Jiulong)iə¹¹kɯ⁵⁵morpheme n‘bracelet’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0487.10
Pumi (Lanping)ʒdʒɛ¹³pu⁵⁵morpheme n‘armpit’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0092.09
Pumi (Lanping)ʒɛ¹³ kɯ⁵⁵morpheme n‘bracelet’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0487.09
Pumi (Qinghua)ʒɛ¹³ ‘hand’Lu 83 Pumi
Pumi (Qinghua)ʒɛ¹³kɯ⁵⁵morpheme ‘bracelet’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 373.11
Pumi (Taoba)ʑɛ³⁵ ‘hand’Lu 83 Pumi
Pumi (Taoba)ʑɛ³⁵po⁵³morpheme ‘armpit’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 265.10
Pumi (Taoba)ʑɛ⁵⁵ po⁵³morpheme ‘armpit’Lu 83 Pumi
Qiang (Mawo)ji dɛmorpheme n‘bracelet’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0487.08
Qiang (Mawo)ju sumorpheme χu̥morpheme n‘finger’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0109.08
Qiang (Mawo)jə xə̥ʴmorpheme n‘ring’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0486.08
Qiang (Mawo)jə xə̥ʴmorpheme dɛsmorpheme n‘finger (middle)’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0111.08
Qiang (Yadu)jɑ pɑsuffix ‘hand’Dai 89 Qian: 133
Zhaba (Daofu County)ja³³dzi⁵⁵morpheme nbp‘nail’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0113.14
Zhaba (Daofu County)ja³³me⁵⁵morpheme n‘thumb’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0110.14
Zhaba (Daofu County)ja³³ndei⁵⁵morpheme nbp‘arm’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0105.14
Zhaba (Daofu County)ja³³pa⁵⁵morpheme nbp‘hand’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0107.14
Zhaba (Daofu County)ja³³sɪ⁵⁵morpheme n‘finger’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0109.14

3.3rGyalrongic17

Ergong (Daofu)ʑɑ kuəlɑ ‘right hand’Dai 89 Daof: 6.1.7.4
Ergong (Daofu)ʑɑ ȵomorpheme ‘back of hand’Dai 89 Daof: 6.1.7.2
Ergong (Daofu)ʑɑ ɬthuəmorpheme ‘left hand’Dai 89 Daof: 6.1.7.5

6.1.2.2Central Loloish1

Lahug̈ɨ̀#1108 PTB *s-r(y)a-y/s/t ‘LAUGH’PLB *ray¹ ‘LAUGH / SMILE’-li#1289 PTB *g-li-k ‘ARMPIT / TICKLE’PCN *k-lik ‘TICKLE’PTk *rik ‘ARMPIT’ yá ‘tickle’The Lahu high-rising tone indicates that this was an originally stopped syllable with some kind of glottalized onset, perhaps *ʔ-yak.Benedict 72 STC: 62n199

9.0.1Old Chinese1

Chinese (Old/Mid)zi̯ɑk/i̯ɑ̈k ‘armpit’Chou 72: 800m

Cite this entry

STEDT etymon #696, *yak ‘ARM / HAND / ARMPIT / TICKLE’.
Stable link: https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/696
Data: STEDT v1.0 (2017). Accessed: [date].
References: STC p.34
BibTeX
@misc{stedt-696,
  title  = {{*yak 'ARM / HAND / ARMPIT / TICKLE'}},
  author = {STEDT},
  year   = {2017},
  note   = {Sino-Tibetan Etymological Dictionary and Thesaurus (STEDT) v1.0, etymon #696},
  url    = {https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/696}
}