Reconstruction:Proto-Sino-Tibetan/prat

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

Reconstructions

• Proto-Sino-Tibetan: ?
  • Proto-Tibeto-Burman: brat ⪤ prat (Matisoff, 2003); *(p/b)rat (STEDT)

Verb

*prat ~ *pret

1. to break
2. to cut, divide, separate

Reconstruction notes

• There are two very similar verbs, *pret "to cut, divide" and *prat "to break", evidenced by two separate words in Chinese, namely 別 / 别 (bié, “to divide, distinguish”) and 敗 / 败 (bài, “to defeat”). It is not easily possible to determine which verb should the non-Chinese cognates be assigned to (or whether the Chinese words came from ablaut derivation or divergent dialectal developments from the same verb) in the current state of research; in Burmese, for instance, the two verbs would merge by regular sound change. Thus, the two verbs will be treated together here.

Descendants

• Chinese: 敗 / 败 (OC *pˤra[t]-s ("to defeat"), *N-pˤra[t]-s ("to be defeated")), 別 / 别 (OC *pret "to separate", *N-pret "to be separated") (see there for further descendants)
• rGyalrongic
  • West rGyalrongic
    • Horpa
      • Tangut: 𗧑 (*phia¹)
  • rGyalrong
    • Japhug: prɤt
    • Situ: kaprāt (Bragbar)
• Lolo-Burmese
  • Burmish
    • Burmese: ဖြတ် (hprat, “to cut, sever”)