Reconstruction:Proto-Sino-Tibetan/m-dzjwaj

This Proto-Sino-Tibetan entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Sino-Tibetan

Etymology

• Proto-Sino-Tibetan: ?
  • Proto-Tibeto-Burman: *m-dzyway (Matisoff, STEDT); *m-jway (Matisoff, 1985)

Chinese 齒／齿 (chǐ), listed by Matisoff (STEDT) as a reflex, is probably not related. Other roots for "tooth": *s/p-wa, *d-ŋa.

Noun

*m-dzjwaj

1. tooth, tusk

Descendants

• Himalayish
  • Tibeto-Kanauri
    • Bodic
      • Tibetan
        • Written Tibetan: མཆེ་བ (mche ba, “canine tooth, fang, tusk”)
• Tangut-Qiang
  • rGyalrongic
    • Situ: (ta)ndzwi (“tusk”)
• Lolo-Burmese-Naxi
  • Lolo-Burmese
    • Burmish
      • Written Burmese: စွယ် (cwai, “fang, tooth, tusk”)
    • Loloish
      • Northern Loloish
        • Yi (Liangshan): ꎐ (rry, “tooth”) (> ꎐꂷ (rry ma, “tooth”))