Appendix:Stable lexical roots in Sino-Tibetan languages

Matisoff (2009) lists a number of roots that he considers to be stable in the Sino-Tibetan language family.

Body parts

• blood: *s-hjwəj-t
• bone: *rus
• ear: *g/r-na
• eye: *mik ~ mjak
• hair (body): *(t)sam, *s/r-m(u/i/ja)l, *s-kra, *r-maːw
• fur: *s/r-m(u/i/ja)l
• feather: *s/r-m(u/i/ja)l, *wa ~ wu
• hand: *lak ~ C-jak
• nose: *s-na
• tail: *r-maj ~ m-raj
• tongue: *s-laj ~ s-lej
• tooth: *s-wa ~ p-wa
• breast/milk/suck: *s-nəw
• gall: *m/s-kri(j)-s
• joint: *tsik
• liver: *m-sin, *b-ka-(n/m/ŋ)
• snot: *s-nap
• spleen: *p-li(k/ŋ)

Animals

• animal: *sja-n
• dog: *d-kʷəj-n
• fish: *s-ŋja
• pig: *pʷak
• snake: *s-b/m-ruːl
• bear: *d-wam
• cattle: *ŋwa
• dove: *m-k(r)əw
• louse: *s-r(j)ik, *s(j)ar

Numerals

• two (2): *g/s-ni-s
• three (3): *g-sum
• four (4): *b-ləj
• five (5): *l/b-ŋa
• six (6): *d-(k-)ruk
• seven (7): *s-ni-s
• eight (8): *b-r-gjat ~ b-g-rjat
• nine (9): *d/s-kəw
• hundred (100): *b-r-gja

Natural objects, units of time

• day (of 24 hours): *s-r(j)ak
• sun / daytime: *nəj
• fire: *mej
• moon: *s-(g)la
• smoke: *kəw-n/t
• wind: *g-ləj
• year: *s-ni(ː)ŋ ~ s-nik

People and habitation

• child / son: *tsa ~ za
• grandfather / elder brother: *pəw
• house: *k-jim ~ k-jum
• husband / male: *p/ba, *pʷa, *wa
• man / person: *r-mi(j)-n, *wa
• name: *r-miŋ
• father: *p/ba, *pʷa, *pu

Plants and ingestibles

• medicine / juice / paint: *tsij ~ r-tsəj, *s-man
• poison: *duk ~ tuk
• bamboo: *g-pʷa ~ r-pʷa
• fruit: *sej
• garlic / onion: *swa-n

Pronouns

• first person (I, we): *ŋa
• second person (you): *na-(ŋ)
• third person / who: *su

Verbs

• bitter: *b-ka-(n/m/ŋ)
• die: *səj
• dream: *(s/r)-ma(ŋ/k), *r/s-mwəj
• eat: *dz(j)a-k/n/t/s
• ill: *na-(n/t)
• kill: *g/b-sat
• lick: *m/s/g-ljak
• steal: *r-kəw
• bent / crooked: *(m)ku(ː)-k/ŋ
• give: *s-bəj-n/k
• know: *sjej-s, *ken ~ m-kjen
• open: *m-ka
• pour / spill: *sjwar ~ g/b-sjwa-n/t
• stand: *g-r(j)ap

Abstract

• copula (to be): *g-raj ~ waj, *s-riː-t ~ s-rut
• negative: *ma
• negative imperative: *ta

See also

• Appendix:Proto-Tibeto-Burman reconstructions

References

• Matisoff, James A (2009). "Stable Roots in Sino-Tibetan/Tibeto-Burman". Senri Ethnological Studies. 75: 291–318. https://doi.org/10.15021/00002570