Reconstruction:Proto-Sino-Tibetan/s(ə)-wa

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: *s-wa ⪤ *p-wa (Matisoff, STEDT); *s-wa (Weidert, 1987; Benedict, 1972; Michailovsky, 1991)

There appears to be no Chinese reflex. Chinese 牙 (yá) is from *d-ŋa (“tusk, tooth”), and 齒 / 齿 (chǐ) is etymologically unclear. There is yet another root *m-dzjwaj (“tooth, tusk”).

Noun

*s(ə)-wa

1. tooth

Reconstruction notes

• The extra alternative *p- pre-initial reconstructed by Matisoff is completely pointless.
• Hill reconstructs *so, but that fails to account for Kuki-Chin, Kurtöp, Jingpho and Newar, all of which clearly show an *a.

Descendants

• Jingpho-Luish:
  • Jingpho: wa (“tooth”)
• Himalayish
  • Tibeto-Kanauri
    • Bodic
      • Tibetan
        • Written Tibetan: སོ (so, “tooth”)
      • East Bodish:
        • Kurtöp: ཀྭ (kwa)
• Newaric
  • Newar:
    • Devanagari script: वा (wā)
    • Newa script: 𑐰𑐵 (wā)
• Sal
  • Bodo-Garo
    • Garo: wa (“tooth”)
    • Atong (India): wa (“tooth”)
• Lolo-Burmese-Naxi
  • Lolo-Burmese
    • Burmish
      • Written Burmese: သွား (swa:, “tooth”)
    • Loloish

      /*swa²/ (Bradley, 1979)

      • Central Loloish
        • Lolopo (Yao'an): ser (“tooth”)