User:Frigoris/Lizard words

Purely hypothetical links to lizard words

• 蝘蜓 (OC *qeːnʔ l'eːnʔ), in literary works (Xunzi, Han-era poet-philosopher Yang Xiong, etc.), notably a 疊韻 word
  • CVC-CVC derivation from the consonant-cluster-initial word, with PST. *k-la, < PMKh. *klaʔ (tiger), as "little tiger". However the nasal is missing.
    • cf. semantically 壁虎 (bìhǔ, “gecko = wall tiger”)
  • cognate with PTB. *g-lja(ŋ/k) (python, STEDT), as "little python", also up to C₁VC-C₂VC derivation from C₁C₂VC, i.e. > /*[g|q|ʔ]A[n?].lA[n?]/. For the etymon see also 蟒 (OC *maːŋʔ).
  • cf. proposed derivation of Viet. thằn lằn from PMKh. *t₁lan (python)
    • but cf. 畫蛇添足
  • STEDT also gives PTB *g-riŋ (lizard) which might have given rise to /*[k|g|q]EN.[l|r]EN/.
  • Tantalisingly, STEDT gives Hayu/Vayu yiŋlɩŋ.
  • Also tantalisingly, IDS gives a Dai Zhuang word /ʔaŋ.11 liau.11/.
  • Also cf. semantically 守宮／守宫 (shǒugōng, “gecko = house guard”) and 安 (OC *qaːn)庭 (OC *l'eːŋ) (near homophone to 蝘蜓). One may be a pun or riddle-like derivation from the other, possibly as taboo or humour.

• 蜥蜴 (OC *seːɡ leɡ), also 疊韻 word
  • possibly linked to PST. *m/s/g-ljak (lick) ~ *m/s-laj ~ s-lej (tongue) (see also STEDT)
    • Also C₁VC-C₂VC < C₁C₂VC, i.e. /*s[j]Ak.l[j]Ak/, as "little licker" (one who sticks out the tongue, as geckos often do)
  • possible phono-semantic word: without the orthographic radical 虫, the characters become 析 (OC *seːɡ) and 易 (OC *leɡ), semantically "to split and (ex)change/give" (as they do with the tail under duress) that also matches the pronunciation of a word inherited from an earlier stage (PST etc.)
  • see also: PTB *(d)ziːt ⪤ *(t)siːt (STEDT, "to split"), and *k-lyak (STEDT, "tail"), the latter might serve as a pun in addition.
    • Overall, the proto-forms of "split-tail" might be harmonised into something like /*sEk.lEk/ on the vowel and final.

• 蛤蚧 (géjiè), possibly onomatopoeic of its sound
  • cf. En. gecko and etymologies,
  • cf. Thai. ตุ๊กแก (dtúk-gɛɛ), Viet. cắc kè, Lao ກັບແກ້ (kap kǣ), Khm. តឹកកែ (təkkae) and ជីងចក់ (ciing cɑk)