tauv

Iu Mien

Verb

tauv

to breathe

White Hmong

Etymology

This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.
Particularly: “Not mentioned by Ratliff at all. The "hold back" and "clump" senses may be related, as both are a sort of "accumulation". Perhaps related to Middle Chinese 抵 (MC tejX, “to prop up; to resist”) and/or tiv (“to oppose, resist”)?”

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /tau̯˧˦/

Classifier

tauv

classifier for clouds and for clusters of fruit
tauv huab ― a cloud

Verb

tauv

to dam up, hold back
tauv dej ― to dam up water

tauv tsis taus lub kua muag ― cannot hold back tears

References

Heimbach, Ernest E. (1979) White Hmong — English Dictionary‎^[1], SEAP Publications, →ISBN, pages 309-10.