Reconstruction:Proto-Sino-Tibetan/m-ʔa

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: *ʔraɣ (Coblin, 1986)
  • Proto-Tibeto-Burman: *m-ʔa (Matisoff, STEDT); *(m-)a (Benedict, 1972; Weidert, 1987; French, 1983); *(m-)ɑ (Chou, 1972); *(m-)a(*C) (Coblin, 1986)

Adjective

*m-ʔa

1. dumb, mute

Descendants

• Old Chinese: 啞／哑 /*ʔˤraʔ/ (B-S); /*qraːʔ/ (ZS) ("mute, dumb")
  • Middle Chinese: 啞／哑 (ʔɣaX)
    • Modern Mandarin
      • Beijing: 啞／哑 (yǎ), /i̯a²¹⁴/)
• Jingpho-Asakian
  • Jingpho
    • Jingpho [Kachin]: ma-a (“dumb”)
• Lolo-Burmese-Naxi
  • Lolo-Burmese
    • Burmish
      • Written Burmese: အ (a., “dumb, mute”)
    • Proto-Loloish: *ʔa²/³ (“dumb”) (Bradley, 1979)