Reconstruction:Proto-Sino-Tibetan/nək

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: *nək ⪤ Cnək, *nes ~ nyes (Coblin, 1986)
- Proto-Tibeto-Burman: *s-nak (Matisoff, STEDT; LaPolla, 1987)

May be a descendant of *s-maŋ ~ s-mak (“black, dark, ink”), from assimilation of the root initial (in place of articulation) by the prefix *s-.

Adjective

*nək

black
evil

Descendants

Old Chinese: 匿 (*nrək (B-S); *nɯg (ZS), “to hide”); 慝 (*n̥ˁək (B-S); *n̥ɯːg (ZS), “evil”)
- Middle Chinese: 匿 /ɳɨk/, 慝 (tè) /tʰək/
  - Modern Mandarin
    - Beijing: 匿 (nì) /ni⁵¹/), 慝 (tè) /tʰɤ⁵¹/
Himalayish
- Tibeto-Kanauri
  - Bodic
    - Tibetan
      - Written Tibetan: ནག་པོ (nag po, “black”), སྣག (snag), སྣག་ཚ (snag tsha, “ink, Chinese ink”)
Tangut-Qiang
- rGyalrongic
  - Situ: (kə)neʔk (“black”)
Proto-Lolo-Burmese: *s-nakᴴ (“black”)
- Burmish
  - Maruic
    - Pela: naʔ³¹ (“black”)
    - Lhao Vo: no (“black”)
  - Burmic
    - Written Burmese: နက် (nak, “black”)
- Proto-Loloish: *C-nakᴴ (“black”)
  - Northern Loloish
    - Yi: ꆈ (nuo)
  - Central Loloish
    - Lolopo: neix (“black”)
Naic:
- Naish:
  - Naxi: naq (“black”)