STEDT
STEDT #820

*(g/k)uŋ

HOLE / ORIFICE / INNER PART

Reconstruction analysis

handlekuŋinitialkrhymecoverK · N

Intermediate reconstructions

Northern Naga/Konyakian*koːŋ ‘EMPTY’
Tamangish*ᴮkʰuŋ ‘HOLE / PIT’
Kiranti*goŋ ‘HEART’
Lolo-Burmese*guŋ² ⪤ *kuŋ² ‘HOLLOW / HOLE / EMPTY’
Loloish*koŋ¹ ‘INSIDE HOUSE’

Connections

HPTB*guŋ ⪤ *kuŋ ‘hollow / hole / empty’pp. 285, 310
HPTB (PLB)*guŋ² ⪤ *kuŋ² ‘hollow / hole / empty’p. 285

Notes

This widespread etymon is similar to #665 PTB *kwar HOLE / ORIFICE / INNARDS (below), in that it typically occurs as the second morpheme in binomes referring to orifices of the body, especially EAR, NOSTRIL, and ANUS; occasionally it occurs in compounds for VAGINA.

This etymon is certainly allofamically related to #387 PTB *s-kawŋ HOLLOW / HOLLOW OBJECT / HEAD, as in the last syllable of, e.g. Lahu ó-qō ‘head’ < PLB *bʷu²-ʔgoŋ².

It is also very possible that it is allofamically related to #3432 PTB *huŋ HOLE. For remarks on velar/laryngeal interchange in TB, see #664 PTB *(h/k)ay VAGINA above.

There are excellent Chinese comparanda: OC *k'ung, GSR #1172h ‘hollow, empty’ and OC *k'ung, GSR #1174a-b ‘very, greatly; empty’. Another likely Chinese relative is ‘anus’, Mand. gāng (not in GSR #1172), though this might fit better with #219 PTB *k(w)a(ŋ/k) WAIST / HIPS / BUTTOCKS / TAIL / BACK. See ZJH’s discussion, below.

It is often difficult to distinguish reflexes of this etymon from those of #665 PTB *kwar HOLE / ORIFICE / INNARDS, especially with respect to Loloish and Qiangic. More than one allofam are evidently involved; cf. e.g. Lahu qhɔ ‘inside; hole’ ⪤ qō ‘hollow object’.

Chinese comparanda

OC *kʼung GSR #1172h ‘hollow, empty’; Li 1971: *khung; Baxter:1992:771 *khong; Mand. kōng.

OC *kʼung, GSR #1174a ‘very, greatly; empty’; Li 1971: *khungx; Baxter 1992: *khongʔ; Mand. kǒng.

This OC-PTB comparison is long-recognized. See for example Simon 1929, Gong 1995 #75, Coblin 1986:71.

The Chinese forms are a perfect match for the TB reconstruction. For another example of this final correspondence, cf. #3447 PTB *(t/d)uŋ ⪤ *(t/d)waŋ MIDDLE / NAVEL. On the aspiration mismatch in the initial corresponce, see the discussion under #1654 PTB *pu EGG.

The two Chinese forms are clearly etymological doublets. Schuessler (2007:335) speculates that kǒng may be an ‘endoactive’ derivation meaning ‘hole’, from kōng ‘hollow, empty’, lit. ‘that which is hollow, empty’.

OC (see below) ‘lower intestines/anus’, GSR: not in #1172; Mand. gāng.

This word is not attested until the Middle Chinese period. The Old Chinese reconstruction would be *krung (Li)/*krong (Baxter) if we assume membership in GSR #1172; however, it is possible that the Old Chinese source is *krong (Li)/*krung (Baxter), and that the phonetic element of the character was chosen after the merger of these two OC finals. (The Mandarin pronunciation of gāng is irregular; we would expect jiāng.)

Schuessler (2007:251) suggests a comparison with WT gźaŋ ‘anus’; however, the vowel correspondence is not good (unless a late borrowing is involved). It is certainly possible that this word is in the same family as kōng and kǒng, although the function of *-r- is not clear.
[ZJH]

Reflexes & cognates290 reflexes · 32 subgroups

0Sino-Tibetan (previously published reconstructions)1

*Sino-Tibetankjongw ‘inside / house’Coblin 86: 98

1.1.1.1Western Tani4

Apatanimorpheme-ko ‘cut a hole into (coconut)’Sun J 93 Tani
Apataniúmorpheme- ‘make hole’Sun J 93 Tani
Bengnimorpheme-koː ‘hole’Sun J 93 Tani

1.1.2Deng8

Darang [Taraon]lommorpheme--ã:morpheme ‘contain (particle meaning inside)’Anonymous xx Tar
Darang [Taraon]lommorpheme ‘inside (box, etc.)’Anonymous xx Tar
Darang [Taraon]lɯm⁵⁵morphemekoŋ⁵⁵ n/adv‘inside’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0715.22
Darang [Taraon]lɯm⁵⁵morphemekoŋ⁵⁵ ‘inside’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 59.49
Kaman [Miju]goŋ³⁵ ‘inside’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 59.48
Idulɯm⁵⁵morphemekoŋ⁵⁵ ‘inside’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 59.50
Yidulum⁵⁵morphemekoŋ³⁵ n/adv‘inside’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0715.25

1.7.2Northern Naga/Konyakian1

1.7.2.2Konyak-Chang5

Changkong‘empty’Marrison 67 Naga
Konyakkiang ‘empty’Marrison 67 Naga
Konyak (Tamlu)goŋ-kamorpheme ‘anus’Weidert 87 TBTo: 1
Phomgoŋ³³ ‘empty’Burling 98 Phom
Phomkong ‘empty’Marrison 67 Naga

2.1.4Tamangish26

*TGTMᴮkhuŋ ‘hole’Mazaudon 78 Tam: 26
*TGTMᴮkʰuŋ ‘hole / pit’Mazaudon 94 These: 112
Gurung (Ghachok)kʰũq tʰõmorphemebaqsuffix ‘bore (hole)’Glover 72 GuVo: 8.B.7
Manang (Prakaa)²kʰuŋ ‘hole / pit’Mazaudon 94 These: 112
Manang (Prakaa)¹kʰuŋ ‘hole / pit’Hoshi 84: 0133
Tamang (Sahu)'kʰuŋ Tʰoŋmorpheme-pasuffix v.‘pierce’Taylor 72 TmVo: 17.A.26
Tamang (Sahu)'kʰuŋ Tʰoŋmorpheme-pasuffix v.‘bore (a hole)’Taylor 72 TmVo: 20.8

2.3Kiranti1

2.3.3Central Kiranti2

Dumigoː ‘heart, mind’Michailovsky 91 Kr: 92
Dumigoː ‘mind, feeling, heart, thought’Driem 93 Dumi

2.4Kham-Magar-Chepang10

3.1Tangut1

Tangut [Xixia]kụ ‘inner, within, inside’Li 97 Tangut: 3372

3.2Qiangic45

Lyuzukhu³³phu⁵³morpheme n/adv‘inside’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0715.18
Muyakhu²⁴ n/adv‘inside’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0715.15
Namuyiqo³³lo³³morpheme ‘inside’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 59.19
Namuyiquo³³luo³¹morpheme n/adv‘inside’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0715.46
Pumi (Qinghua)khõ⁵⁵ ‘inside’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 59.11
Pumi (Taoba)gõ⁵⁵ ‘inside’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 59.10
Qiang (Longxi)kù kú ‘inside (of room)’Evans 99 Qiang: 1050
Qiang (Longxi)kù lìmorpheme ‘inside (of thing)’Evans 99 Qiang: 1050.1
Qiang (Mianchi)qò qó ‘inside (of room)’Evans 99 Qiang: 1050
Qiang (Taoping)ko⁵⁵ko³³ ‘inside’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 59.9
Xumiqhu³³nõ⁵⁵morpheme n/adv‘inside’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0715.17
Xumiqhũ³⁵ n/adv‘inside’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0715.17
Xumiqhũ³⁵ ‘inside’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 59.20

4Nungic1

Rawangəprefixhoŋ⁵³ ‘empty’LaPolla 03: 1013

6.1Lolo-Burmese2

*Lolo-Burmeseguŋ² ⪤ kuŋ² ‘hollow / hole / empty’Matisoff 03 HPTB: 592
*Lolo-Burmesekuŋ¹ ‘hole in ground / pit’Matisoff 78 MLBM: 2

6.1.2Loloish1

*Loloishkoŋ¹ ‘inside house’Bradley 79 PLo: 812

6.1.2.1Northern Loloish24

Nasugɔ⁵⁵ ‘empty’Chen 86 CS: 21.
Neisugo⁵⁵ ‘empty’Chen 86 CS: 21.
Nesuga²¹ ‘empty’Chen 86 CS: 21.
Nosugo²¹ ‘empty’Chen 86 CS: 21.
Nusu (Southern)kɯ⁵⁵dɔ³¹morpheme ‘inside’Sun J 86 Nusu
Nusu (Northern)kɯ⁵⁵ɑ³¹morpheme ‘inside’Sun J 86 Nusu
Yi (Liangshan)a⁵⁵prefixgo²¹ ‘empty; useless (to no purpose)’Ma 08 Yi: index
Yi (Liangshan)bi⁵⁵morphemego²¹ ‘empty; hollow’Ma 08 Yi: index
Yi (Liangshan)go²¹ka³³ ‘empty’Ma 08 Yi: index
Yi (Liangshan)khu³³ ‘inside’Ma 08 Yi: index
Yi (Liangshan)khu³³ʨo³⁴morpheme ‘inside’Ma 08 Yi: index
Yi (Liangshan)khu³⁴lu̱³³morpheme ‘inside; interior’Ma 08 Yi: index
Yi (Liangshan)khu³⁴tɛ³³morpheme ‘inner layer; inside’Ma 08 Yi: index
Yi (Mojiang)ᴀ⁵⁵prefixkho²¹ ‘inside’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 59.26
Yi (Xide)khu³³tɕo⁴⁴morpheme ‘inside’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 59.21

6.1.2.2Central Loloish55

Kuconga31prefix khu33 ‘cave’Dai 09 Kucong
Kuconga31prefix khɔ33 ‘in’Dai 09 Kucong
Lahu (Lancang)ɔ³¹prefixqhɔ³³ n/adv‘inside’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0715.43
Lahu (Black)qɔ̂ ‘empty, vacant, hollow’Matisoff 88 DL: 253
Lahu (Black)ɔ²¹prefixqhɔ³³ ‘hole’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 34.33
Lahu (Black)ɔ³¹prefixqhɔ³³phɔ³³morpheme ‘inside’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 59.33
Lahu (Yellow)ɔ²prefixqhɔ¹te¹morphemephv̩³morpheme ‘inside’Chang 86
Lisue⁵⁵prefixkhu³³ n‘cave / hole’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0029.40
Lisue⁵⁵prefixkhu³¹ ‘inside’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 59.27
Lisue⁵⁵prefixkhu⁴⁴ ‘hole’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 34.27
Lisu (Northern)ji⁵⁵prefixkhu²¹ N‘sphere; range; inner; inside’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)ji⁵⁵prefixkhu²¹ ji⁵⁵prefixba²¹morpheme ‘inside and outside’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)ji⁵⁵prefixkhu²¹kwa³³morpheme ‘inside; among’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)ji⁵⁵morphemekhu³³ N‘cave; cavity; tunnel’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)khaʔ²¹morphemebæʔ²¹morphemekhu³³ ‘oral cavity; inside the mouth’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)lɔ³³morphemehɤ²¹morpheme tʃhu³³morphemekhu³³ ‘lime-kiln; cave dwelling’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)mi³³morphemekhu³³ ‘trench; cellar; cave’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)næ⁵⁵morphemekhu²¹ N‘inside’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Northern)næ⁵⁵morphemekhu²¹kwa³³morpheme ‘within; inside’Bradley 94 Lisu
Lisu (Central)rgha¹morpheme-hku⁴ ‘cave’Fraser 22
Lisuɣɑ⁵⁵morphemekhu³¹ n‘cave (mountain)’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0028.40
Lisuɣɑ⁵⁵morphemetʃhi⁴⁴morphemekhu³¹ ‘cave’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 33.27
Yi (Sani)kɯ⁴⁴ n/adv‘inside’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0715.39
Sani [Nyi]qo²¹ ‘empty’Chen 86 CS: 21.

6.1.2.3Southern Loloish15

Hani (Caiyuan)mi⁵⁵morphemekhu⁵⁵; ɔ³¹morphemekhu⁵⁵ ‘cave’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 33.30
Hani (Pijo)ɔ̀prefix khú ‘hole’Hansson 89 AHKP: 554
Hani (Caiyuan)ɔ³¹prefixkhu⁵⁵le⁵⁵morphemea³³morpheme ‘inside’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 59.30
Hani (Khatu)àprefix khú ‘hole’Hansson 89 AHKP: 554
Hani (Mojiang)tɔ⁵⁵morphemekhu⁵⁵ n‘cave / hole’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0029.42
Mpiʔɑ²prefix-kʰuŋ² ‘cavity / hollow (as in tree / rock)’Matisoff 78 MLBM: 3
Mpiʔɑ²prefix-kʰuŋ⁶ ‘hole in ground / pit’Matisoff 78 MLBM: 2
Mpiʔɑ²prefixkhuŋ² ‘hole (large) in a tree’Srinuan 76
Mpiʔɑ²prefixkhuŋ⁶ ‘hole (in the ground) / pit’Srinuan 76
Mpiʔɑ²prefixkhuŋ⁶morpheme ‘inside’Srinuan 76

6.1.2.4Southeastern Loloish5

Azhai³³prefixkɯ⁴⁴ ‘inside’Pelkey 11 Phula: 1116
Pholaɑ̠²³prefixkʰɔ³³ ‘inside’Pelkey 11 Phula: 1116
Hlepho Phowaɛ³³prefixkə⁵⁵ ‘inside’Pelkey 11 Phula: 1116
Phu Khai³⁵prefix kʰo³¹ ‘inside’Fried 00 PhuKha
Phuzai³³prefixkʰɯ³³ ‘inside’Pelkey 11 Phula: 1116

6.2Naxi38

Laze (Xiangjiao)ku˥lu˥morpheme ‘inside, within’Michaud 06 NaLaze: 1523
Laze (Xiangjiao)ku˧morphemepie˥morpheme ku˥lu˥morpheme ‘inside of the mouth’Michaud 06 NaLaze: 281
Laze (Xiangjiao)qʰɔ˥ n.‘burrow, hole (dug by hand)’Michaud 06 NaLaze: 3876
Laze (Xiangjiao)qʰɔ˥ʈʰv˥morpheme v.‘bore a hole, punch a hole’Michaud 06 NaLaze: 2500
Laze (Xiangjiao)ʐɯ˥morphemeqʰɔ˥ ‘spring’Michaud 06 NaLaze: 173
Laze (Xiangjiao)ʐɯ˥morphemeqʰɔ˥ morphemetsʰi˥morpheme ‘spring water’Michaud 06 NaLaze: 179
Na (Yongning)ko˧lo˩morpheme ‘inside, within’Michaud 06 NaLaze
Na (Yongning)qʰv˧ ‘hole; burrow’Michaud 06 NaLaze
Na (Yongning)qʰv˧dʑi˥$ ‘hole, cavity (e.g. mouse hole)’morphemeMichaud 06 NaLaze
Na (Yongning)æ˩morphemeqʰv˧˩ ‘cave, cavern (difficult to enter, or too small for a person to enter)’Michaud 06 NaLaze
Na (Yongning)ŋwæ˧morphemeqʰv˧ ‘oven to make bricks’Michaud 06 NaLaze
Na (Yongning)ɻ˧morphemeqʰv˧ ‘warm springs’Michaud 06 NaLaze
Na (Yongning)ʁwɤ˧morphemeqʰv˧ ‘cave, cavern’Michaud 06 NaLaze
Na (Yongning)ʁwɤ˧morphemeqʰv˧dʑi˧morpheme ‘cave, cavern (with broad opening; easy to get in)’Michaud 06 NaLaze
Na (Yongning)ʈʂʰv˧morphemeɻ˧morphemeqʰv#˥ ‘ant nest’Michaud 06 NaLaze
Naxi (Lijiang)a³¹morphemekho³³ ‘cave’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 33.28
Naxikho³³ n‘cave / hole’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0029.45
Naxi (Yongning)khəɹ³³ɬo¹³morpheme ‘cave’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 33.29
Naxi (Lijiang)ləɹ³¹morphemekho³³ ‘spring (water)’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 23.28
Naxi (Yongning)tv³³morphemekhəɹ³³ ‘hole’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 34.29
Naxitɕy³³morphemekhɯ²¹morphemekho³³ n‘trap / pitfall’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0639.45
Naxiæ²¹morphemekho³³ n‘cave (mountain)’Huang and Dai 92 TBL: 0028.45

7Karenic7

8Bai3

Bai (Dali)khɯ³¹mi⁵³morphemeno³³morpheme ‘inside’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 59.35
Bai (Jianchuan)khɯ³¹no³³morpheme ‘inside’Sun H 91 ZMYY: 59.36

9.0.1Old Chinese2

Chinese (Old/Mid)kʼung/kʼung ‘hollow; empty’Karlgren 57 GSR: 1172h
Chinese (Old/Mid)kʼung/kʼung: ‘very, greatly; empty’Karlgren 57 GSR: 1174a

Cite this entry

STEDT etymon #820, *(g/k)uŋ ‘HOLE / ORIFICE / INNER PART’.
Stable link: https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/820
Data: STEDT v1.0 (2017). Accessed: [date].
References: cf. HPTB pp.285, 310
BibTeX
@misc{stedt-820,
  title  = {{*(g/k)uŋ 'HOLE / ORIFICE / INNER PART'}},
  author = {STEDT},
  year   = {2017},
  note   = {Sino-Tibetan Etymological Dictionary and Thesaurus (STEDT) v1.0, etymon #820},
  url    = {https://larc-iu.github.io/stedt/etymon/820}
}