Neck

Note the semantic connection between NECK and WAIST; the latter is the neck of the body. This is analogous to the extension of words for ‘neck’ to other thin flexible areas of the body, as in Korean son-mok ‘wrist’ (‘hand neck’) and pal-mok ‘ankle’ (‘foot neck’). There is thus probably a relationship between WT sked-pa ~ rked-pa ‘waist; middle’ and ske ~ skye ~ skya ‘neck, throat’.

For the semantic connection between NECK and SHOULDER, see Chapter 1.4.3.

The Karen forms, which all look something like ko, could either be from #486 PTB *l-kwak THROAT / NECK or from #3361 PTB *gwaŋ NECK / THROAT.

Note also the similarity between the Hani forms for ‘neck’ kʰɔ³¹ lɔ⁵⁵, kʰɔ³¹ laŋ⁵⁵, kʰɯ³¹ l̥ɯ⁵⁵ and the Karen (B) form kʰo³¹ lø³¹ tʰi⁵⁵.

There is a widespread binome in LB consisting of etyma #479 PTB *g/m-liŋ NECK + #255 PTB *tsiŋ NECK.

There is a possible semantic connection between THROAT/NECK and HEART; the first syllables of Limbu niŋ-mā ‘throat’ and Bisu nɨŋ-tshɨ ‘neck’ mean ‘heart’ .