Wiktionary:About Tai Nüa

Alternative forms

There are many Tai Nüa words which have multiple forms caused by consonant, vowel, or tone alternation. All of the forms are accepted in Wiktionary.

Examples:

• Consonant alternation:
  • ᥑᥩᥢᥰ (xöan) / ᥐᥩᥢᥰ (köan) (smoke)
  • ᥖᥨᥙ (top) / ᥘᥨᥙ (lop) / ᥛᥨᥙ (mop) (to fold)
  • ᥑᥤᥒᥴ (xíng) / ᥔᥤᥒᥴ (síng) (ginger)
  • ᥐᥦᥙᥱ (kǎep) / ᥓᥦᥙᥱ (tsǎep) (rice husk)
  • ᥘᥥᥢᥲ (lèn) / ᥟᥥᥢᥲ (ʼèn) (to play)
• Vowel alternation:
  • ᥖᥐᥴ (ták) / ᥖᥦᥐᥴ (táek) (to scoop (water))
  • ᥘᥩᥖ (loat) / ᥘᥧᥖ (lut) (to slip off)
  • ᥕᥤᥢ (yin) / ᥕᥪᥢ (yuen) (to pass over)
  • ᥞᥬᥲ (hàue) / ᥞᥫᥲ (hòe) (to give)
• Tone alternation:
  • ᥘᥨᥛᥱ (lǒm) / ᥘᥨᥛᥲ (lòm) (to fall; to topple)
  • ᥚᥥᥴ (phé) / ᥚᥥᥱ (phě) (to spread)

It has been taught that ᥢ (n) could only appear as final consonant and ᥘ (l) represented Proto-Tai *n- and *ʰn- instead. In modern days, as influenced by neighbor languages, ᥢ can be used as initial consonant either since it is not difficult to pronounce.