*s-riŋ ⪤ *s-r(y)aŋ
Reconstruction analysis
Intermediate reconstructions
Connections
Notes
This etymon constitutes a large set in STC (#404), where it was originally reconstructed with *-a- ⪤ *-i- variation at the PTB level: *s-riŋ ⪤ *s-raŋ. Benedict later changed the reconstruction to *śriŋ (n. 252, n.128), explaining the -a- in WB hraŋ as being ‘conditioned by the initial cluster’. I find this revision unconvincing, and prefer to posit vocalic variation at the proto-level. (This is similar to the *-ya- ⪤* -i- variation found in several roots, notably EYE and PHEASANT. See STC pp. 84-5, VSTB pp. 40-1.) There is an excellent Chinese comparandum, 生, reconstructed in GSR #812a-d as OC *sĕng/MC ṣɒng; Mand. shēng. But here too Karlgren notes an irregular vocalic development from OC to MC (one would have expected MC ṣɛng). The semantic fit between the TB forms and Chinese is extraordinarily good.
This root is perhaps to be reconstructed *tsiŋ at the PLB level (cf. Lahu chɛ̂).
Chinese comparandum
生 OC *sĕng GSR #812a, ‘live; bear, born; fresh’; Li 1971: *sring; Baxter 1992 #130: *srjeng; Mand. shēng.
For the reconstruction of *-j- in Baxter’s system, see Baxter 1992:580-581. The development to Middle Chinese is regular in Baxter’s system, while it is irregular in Li’s system.
This is a long-recognized cognate (see e.g. STC #404). The Chinese initial and coda correspond to the Tibeto-Burman. In Li’s reconstruction, the main vowel *i is also a perfect match for the TB vowel. Baxter’s OC system does not permit a final *-ing reconstruction. Baxter postulates developments *-ing > *-in and *-ing > *-eng (depending on dialect) predating the Old Chinese period (1992:299,563). In this case the comparative evidence points to *-ing > *-eng, and Baxter’s reconstruction is also a perfect match for the Tibeto-Burman.
Other Chinese members of the word family (such as 青 ‘green; color of living things’, Mand. qīng ) apparently reflect PST allofams with vowel *a and/or lacking medial *r. See Schuessler (2007:431, 459-460) for tables comparing Chinese and Tibeto-Burman allofams.
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性 姓 生 蒼
Schuessler (2007:76, 460) further argues that this etymon derives from PST *sri ‘to be, exist’.
[ZJH]
A better match for TO BE / EXIST is #2608 PTB *s-ri-t ⪤ *s-rut BE / EXIST / COPULA, [JAM]
Reflexes & cognates154 reflexes · 39 subgroups
0Sino-Tibetan (previously published reconstructions)1
0.1Tibeto-Burman (previously published reconstructions)8
1.1.1.2Eastern Tani1
1.1.2Deng6
1.2Kuki-Chin2
1.2.1.1Northern Chin4
1.2.1.2Southern Plains Chin3
1.2.2Central Chin9
1.2.3Maraic2
1.2.4“Old Kuki”3
1.3.1Central Naga (Ao Group)2
1.3.2Angami-Pochuri Group17
1.3.3Zeme Group11
1.3.4Tangkhulic9
1.4Meithei3
1.5Mikir [Karbi]2
1.7.1.1Bodo1
1.7.1.2Garo3
1.7.1.3Koch2
1.7.2Northern Naga/Konyakian4
1.7.2.1Tangsa-Nocte4
1.7.2.2Konyak-Chang11
1.7.3.1Jingpho2
2.1.1Western Himalayish11
2.1.2Bodic3
2.1.2.1Tibetan1
2.1.4Tamangish1
2.3Kiranti1
2.3.1Eastern Kiranti3
2.3.2Southern Kiranti5
4Nungic2
6.1Lolo-Burmese1
6.1.1Burmish11
6.1.2.1Northern Loloish1
6.1.2.2Central Loloish2
6.1.2.3Southern Loloish8
8Bai1
9.0.1Old Chinese8
9.0.2Middle Chinese2
Cite this entry
*s-riŋ ⪤ *s-r(y)aŋ ‘LIVE / ALIVE / GREEN / RAW / GIVE BIRTH’.https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/71BibTeX
@misc{stedt-71,
title = {{*s-riŋ ⪤ *s-r(y)aŋ 'LIVE / ALIVE / GREEN / RAW / GIVE BIRTH'}},
author = {STEDT},
year = {2017},
note = {Sino-Tibetan Etymological Dictionary and Thesaurus (STEDT) v1.0, etymon #71},
url = {https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/71}
}