by Patrick C. Ryan
(7/26/97)
The purpose of this short essay is to establish as a hypothesis that IE and (Sino-)Tibetan are
both descended from a common ancestor, which, I term the Proto-Language — from
the form into which it had developed by about 100-60K BPE. Press here for an interesting overview of the Sino-Tibetan family prepared by the STEDT Research Project headed by James Matisoff.
This date is based on the estimates of Cavalli-Sforza for the separation of
the peoples of Southeast Asia and Australia (The Great Human Diasporas, p. 123) from the
"main" branch of the people speaking the Proto-Language.
During this phase of development, the Proto-Language was passing out of a
active-type morphology into an class-type morphology on
its way to an ergative-type morphology (G. A. Klimov).
Phonologically, it had already reached a stage of development in which the oldest semantic
contrasts of C+E/ C+A/ C+O had been replaced by CyV/ CV/ CwV. Interestingly, this important
feature of the Pontic stage of development of the Proto-Language is
shared by Afrasian, Altaic, Indo-European, and Uralic but not shared
by Basque or Sumerian (and probably Australian), suggesting that the phenomenon
began in the North, spreading South gradually, and not reaching Basque and Sumerian before
they separated.
SOV is the earliest Sino-Tibetan word-order (as it is for Altaic), corresponding to SOV established by W. P. Lehmann for IE; S- OV (and possibly OV-S, which may have distinguished between imperfective and perfective aspects before singular and plural elements were applied to convey the same aspects) word-order stems from the earliest syntax of the Proto-Language during its active-type phase (Klimov), in which the transitive subject is only loosely linked to the object-verb, which is primary; and need not be expressed overtly; this is also suggested by the invariable rectum-regens word
order of Altaic (except Northern Tungus).
In the Table of Correspondence found after the listing of lexical cognates
below, the column entitled PROTO-LANGUAGE shows the
earliest syllables before vocalic contrasts were replaced by a contrast of glides and no glide
(during the Pontic stage: 60-40K BPE).
Similar tables of equivalence can and have been constructed for the
Proto-Language, IE and Afrasian (Egyptian and Arabic),
Altaic, Beng (Southern Mandé),
Hurrian, Japanese, Mon/Hmong, Nama (Khoisan),
Sumerian, and Uralic.
PL / IE / (SINO-)TIBETAN
(IE entries in parentheses are keywords in Pokorny 1959 unless marked by *)
|
(1)T[?]SE-RE-FA, H-jur-wa, "draw tight" (p. 461); (IE dheru-, listed under 2. dher-
(2)T[H]SO-F[H]A-P[?]A, tshub-ma, "storm, whirlwind" (p. 1028); (IE (s)teu-b/p-)
(3)K[?]XA-$E, r-gya-wo, "beard" (p. 305); (IE ghai-)
(4)QO, qa, "I" (p. 345); (IE 1. ge:u-; in gag-)
(5)P[H]O-HA-FE, -pho, "male" (IE po:yu-, listed under 1. po:(i)-; 1. pu/u:-; po:u-; (cf.Egyptian -f)
(6)T[?]SA-FA, as a constituent of dwags, "bright" (p. 614); dwaqs, "glare" (p.616); da-wa, "moon"; (IE 3. dheu-)
(7)QO-$E, qe-d, "mine" (p. 353); (IE 1. ge:u-; gag-)
(8)?A-MA, a-ma, "mother" (p. 1344); (IE am[m]a)
(9)T[?]A-?A-MO, H-dam, "mire, mud" (p. 679); (IE da:-mo-)
(10)?A-K[H]E-FE, a-khu, "uncle (paternal)" (p. 1341); (IE cf. akka:, ?A-K[H]E-HA, "polygamous wife, aunt"?)
(11)KX[H]O ("mollusc"), kha, "mouth" (p. 123); (IE in ku-; k(a)ul-)
(12)T[?]E-N[H]A, H-jal-wa, "weigh, appraise" (p. 454); ( IE 1. del-; 2. del-)
(13)M[H]O-$E ("human-like"), mi, "folk" (p. 956) [NOTE also s-mu, one of the six early tribes of Tibet - ? M[H]O-F[H]A, "humans"]; (IE in manu-; *meu- in Russian muzh?)
(14)TS[H]A ("ass"), r-ta, "horse" (p. 530); (IE in sta:dh-, listed under sta:-)
(15)T[H]O ("heat"), tsha-wa, "hot" (p. 1018) (from *s-thawa?); (IE cf. tep-)
(16)S[H]E ("cold"), sa-d, "frost, cold air" (p. 1266); (IE indirectly attested in 2. ei-s- (for *ais-), "ice, frost" (HHA-$E-S[H]E); (cf. Sumerian e-4, "cold, frost"; e-7, "*sleet"; e-21, "*sleet"; e-12 (for *e), "cold, winter"; Sumerian e-13, "cold, winter"); (cf. Chinese s, "ice floating on a river during the spring thaw")
(17)S[H]O-F[H]A, sho-g, "come (after?)" (p. 1245); (IE 3. seu- {for *se:w-})
(18)S[H]E-$E-R[H]E, ser-wa, "hail" (p. 1280); (IE 1. (s)ter-)
(19)RE-$E-MO, ri-mo, "drawing, line" (p.1177); (IE rei-ma: under 1. rei-)
(20)K[H]E-$E, khyi, dog (-a+w=o; khyi-mo, "bitch" {K[H]E-$E-MA-FA; IE 3. ma:- [*maw- ]; cf. MHG Muhme}); (IE in k[^]won-; cf. Welsh ci/Breton ki, "dog"); most IE languages preferred K[H]E-F[H]A, "gray-wolf"; apparently some used simply K[H]E-$E, "shadow-like"="gray (one)")
(21)T[?]A-HA-MO, s-dam-pa, "bound" (p. 714); (IE (dem6-) [for *de:m-???])
(22)TS[H]A-F[H]A-RO, g-tol-wa, "perforate" (p. 528); (IE 4. ter-; 5. ter-)
(23)RA-$E, ri(-wo), "mountain, hill" (p. 1172); (IE *rei-wo-, "*height" in Latvian rievà, "hill", listed incorrectly under 1. rei-)
(24)P[?]O-FA, d-bu-wa, "froth" (p. 911); (IE 2. b(e)u-)
(25)T[H]E-RE-$A, ce-re, "staring" (p. 383); (IE *strei-, listed under 1. (s)ter-)
(26)NE-R[H]E, nya-ra, "weak, fragile, frail" (p. 474); (IE *ler-, "fall slackly [cf. Latvian slarpata, "old rag"]", listed under (s)lrg and sler-, imitative (?!); also nyo-re (p. 474), on base NE-FA-(R[H]E-$E), "hanging down slackly"; (IE (s)leu-, "slackly hanging down, limp")
(27)NE-$E; (r-)nyi, "snare" (p. 497); (IE 3. lei-, "sticky")
(28)S[H]O-$E-MO, zhim-po, "sweet" (p. 1072); (IE *se:imo- in OHG seim, "strained honey", listed incorrectly under sei-, "drip, run, wet")
(29)F[H]A ("wolf, predator"), wa, "fox" (p. 1061); (IE in wai-l-os, listed under wai)
(30)HHO-F[H]A-T[?]SE ("sun"), Hod, "light (brightness)" (p. 1118); (IE *audh-;in eus-, awes-, aug-, auqw(h)-)
(31)S[H]O ("sheep"), zha, "deer" (p. 1226); (IE *so in Tocharian A s'os' [B: s'aiyye], "sheep")
(32)TS[H]O-$E; tshe, "life" (p. 1029); (IE in [s]teigwh-); (cf. Sumerian ti, "*cycle, *course of events" [Jaritz 117 reads ti, and means "cycle, course of events"])
(33)PF[H]O ("cattle"), *pa, "*cattle", in pa, "cow"; (IE in pek[^]u-; per-, "*cattle [Pokorny p. 818]")
(34)TS[H]E-RO, g-cal-wa, "spread, display" (p. 386); (IE 5. [s]ter-)
(35)KX[H]O-F[H]A-P[?]A, r-kub, kup, "anus, posterior" (p. 76); (IE kub-, *depression, listed under 2. keu-)
(36)K[?]A-HHA-FA, d-gaH-wa, "be pleased" (p. 263); (IE ga:u-, "rejoice, boast joyfully")
(37)KX[H]A-?A ("bee-grass=pointed reed"), ka(-wa), "post (pillar)" (p. 1); (IE cf. khai-t-, "stick", listed under [s]k[h]ai-)
(38)TS[H]E-$E, m-che-wa, "tooth, fang" (p. 435); (IE (s)tei-)
(39)Q[H]E-$E-MO, nyi-ma, "sun" (p. 478); (IE *k[^]ei-mo, "*on fire", in Gothic skeima, "light, torch", listed under sk[^]a:i-, "shimmer subduedly, shadow (reflection)"; sk[^]i-ro-, "clear")
(40)K[?]XO-R[H]E-FA, H-gyur-wa (<-*garyau) (p. 293), "grow"; (IE ghre:w-, "grow")
(41)K[?]O-FA, d-gu-wa, "bend" (p. 267); (IE ge:u-, "bend, crumple, arch")
(42)P[?]FA-HA-R[H]E, H-bar-wa, "ignite" (p. 918); (IE bhe:r-, "shiny")
(43)P[?]FE-FA, (sa-)cha, "place (classifier sa- + cha [<- *byaw])"; see SPECIAL NOTE); (IE -bh, suffix forming place-names)
(44)P[?]E-$E, m-je, "penis (classifier m + je (<- *'byay)" (p. 451){but possibly from K[?]E-$E, "*penis (<-*gyay)} ; see SPECIAL NOTE; cf. also H-ji-wa, "disgusting(ly filthy) (<-*bya'y)" (p. 455); ja, "tea" (p. 447) (P[?]E, "excretion"); (IE *wei-, "*penis", in 3. weis-, "flow, stink")
(45)MA-FA ("pair of breasts"), mo, "she" (p. 974); (IE *mew- in *mew-mo, "maternal aunt" {IE 3. ma:-})
(46)RA(-$E)-K[?]E-$E ("high-male"), rje, "chief" (p. 463); (IE re:g[^]i-, in OHG ri:hhi, "domination {under 1. reg[^]-}"); possibly, r- is not a classifier here but the initial of an ordinary adjective
(47)NO-K[?]XA(-FA), nag-po, "black" (p. 729); (IE *negw-, in Old Indian Na:ga-, "*black"; cf.Latin niger, "black" [*neigw-ro-])
(48)MO-R[H]A, d-mar-po, "crimson" (p. 982); (IE moro-, "mulberry")
(49)S[H]E-$E-R[H]A, g-ser-po, "gold (yellow)" (p. 1309); (IE cf. 3. ser- [for *se:r- {cf. Old Indian sá:ra-, "pith"}], "red, reddish")
(50)KX[H]A-R[H]A ("bee-color"), d-kar-po, "white" (p. 51); (IE ka:r-, "wax")
(51)$O-FA, yo-d-pa, "possess" (p. 1147); (IE 2. yeu-, "bind, *hold")
(52)MO ("blood"), r-ma, "wound" (p. 984); (IE in mau-ro-; in 6. mel-; in me:mso-; in 3. (mer-); in 1. meu-; in moro-)
(53)SA-F[H]O ("strong-spider"), zla-wa, "moon" (from *l-zawa) (p. 1099); (IE sa/a:wel/n-; 2. swel-)
(54)SO ("skin"), zha in zha-ser (p. 1065), "yellow cap"; (SO is difficult to see in IE but cf.Egyptian s, "bolt of cloth"; Sumerian su, "skin, flesh"; probably in IE me:m-so-)
(55)K[?]XO-FA, s-go, "doorway" (p. 328); (IE gheweya:, "excavation, cavity")
(56)K[H]E(-$E), s-kya-wa, "gray" (p. 97); (IE 2. k[^]ei-, "dark colors")
(57)RO ("lip"), la, "mountain pass" (p. 1200); (IE 1. rei-; 3. rei-)
(58)SE ("excretion"), zla-wa (<-*l-za), "juice, semen" (p. 1099); (IE in sei-; 2. se:(i)-; seikw-; seib/p-; 1. seu-)
(59)R[H]O-Q[H]A, laq-wa, "rise, reach" (p. 1206); (IE 2. lek-)
(60)N[H]A ("wave, shimmer"), lha, "god" (<- *h-la) (p. 1331); (IE in la:ip-; leuk-; the idea is of a crystal, jewel [in the sky])
(61)RO-FA, lo, "talk" (p. 1220) (cf. also lu-wa, "cough") (p. 1214); (IE 1. reu-)
(62)QO-FA ("skull"), m-go, "head" (<- *m-qo) (p. 283); (IE 1. ge:u-, "ball"; cf. gag-)
(63)QO-QO ("globe"), qaq, "sphere" (p. 348); (IE gag-)
(64)QO-FA-SA, qos, "side" (p. 358); (IE geu-s-, "angle" [under 1. ge:u-]); (cf. Egyptian gs, "side")
(65)K[H]A-HHA, ka, "desire [mystical]" (p. 1); (IE ka:-)
(66)Q[H]O-RE-$E, d-kri, "anything to wrap with" (p. 58); (IE (s)krei-, "*round container", listed under 3. (s)ker-, "turn, bend")
(67)P[?]E ("excretion"), ca, "excrement" (p. 378); (IE in wei-, "*urine")
(68)P[?]E-$A, g-ci-wa, "urinate" (p. 386); (IE wei-)
(69)P[?]A-$E-K[H]E, g-cig (from *cik), "one, same" (p. 386); (IE *weik[^]-, "all", listed under wi/i:-, "apart")
(70)P[?]A-$A-T[?]SE, b-cad-pa, "separate" (p. 391); (IE weidh-); (cf. Egyptian wD', "be parted")
(71)PF[H]E-RA ("spark-tree"), cha-ra, "Himalayan oak" (p. 404); (IE in perkwu-s)
(72)PF[H]E-RE, H-char-wa, "shine" (p. 443); (IE 1. per-)
(73)PF[H]E-R[H]E, char(-pa), "rain" (p. 410); (IE 1. sp(h)er-; 2. (s)p(h)er-)
(74)PF[H]E-F[H]A, chu, "water, river" (p. 413); (IE 1. p[h]u/u:-, "foam, spray")
(75)P[?]O-FA-RE, (chu-)bur, "water-bubbles" (p. 417); (IE *bur- in 2. bher-)
(76)P[?]FE ("foot"), [chu-]bya, "water-fowl"; (IE -bh, forms animal names)
(77)PF[H]A-$A-HHA, che-wa, "large" (p. 424); (IE 3. (s)p(h)e:(i)-)
(78)PF[H]A-$E-T[?]A, m-ched-pa, "spread" (p. 436); (IE (s)p(h)e:id-, listed under 3. sp(h)e:(i)-)
(79)HA ("air"), ha, "breath, breathe" (p. 1325); (IE *a:-, "air", in 10. awe- [HA-F[H]A])
(80)SA-HHA-F[H]A-RO, g-sol-wa, "drink" (<- *zHol) (p. 1315); (IE *seuro- [for *so:uro-], "drink", in Sanskrit su:ra-, "intoxicating beverage", and sura:, "brandy", listed under 1. seu-, sew6- : su:-)
(81)P[?]A-$E-K[?]XA-FA, m-jug (<- *jagu), "back, tail" (p. 451); (IE speigu-, "*buttocks", listed under 3. sp(h)e:(i)-, "thicken" [cf. Egyptian p(i)H.wi])
(82)T[H]E-HA-RE, H-char-wa, "shine" (p. 443); (IE 2. (s)te/e:r-)
(83)M[H]A-$E-K[?]XA ("little-hair"), mig, "eye" (p. 962) (really, "eye-lash!"); (IE 1. meigh-)
(84)P[H]A-QA, paq, "lap" (p. 778); (IE *pe(n)g-, listed under (peg-:))
(85)P[?]O-FA, bu, "son, boy" (p. 870); (IE 2. b(e)u-)
(86)T[?]A-FA, do, "pair, couple" (p. 639); (IE dwo:(u))
(87)FE-$E-P[?]A, byab-pa, "wipe" (p. 885); (IE weib-, listed under weip-)
(88)T[?]E-R[H]E-F[H]A, dur-wa (<- *daru), "hurry" (p. 631); (IE dreu-, listed under 3. (der-))
(89)T[?]SE-$E, de, "woman (mystical)" (p. 636); (IE dhe/e:(i)-, "suckle")
(90)T[?]SE-RE-$E, dri, "excrement" (p. 651); (IE dhrei-, listed under 5. dher-)
(91)T[?]O-K[?]XE, H-dag-pa, "lick" (p. 677); (IE dng[^]hu-)
(92)T[?]SA-HHA, H-daH-wa, "pass away" (p. 679); (IE 3. dhe:-)
(93)P[?]FO-$E-QA, beq, "club" (p. 876); (IE *bheing-, under bheg-)
(94)P[?]A-$E, bya , "bird" (p. 880); (IE (a)wei-)
(95)P[?]FE-FA-K[?]XA, d-byug-pa, "throw" (p. 915); (IE 2. bheugh-, "get rid of")
(96)S[H]E-$E, b-se-mo, "weasel" (p. 1320); (IE sa:i-)
(97)S[H]O-FA-?O-T?A, b-sod-pa, "pleasing" (p. 1321); (IE swa:d-)
(98)X[H]E-$A-S[H]A, shes-pa, "know" (p. 1243); (IE kwei-s-, listed under 1. kwei-(t-))
(99)P[H]E-$E ("mouse-like"), phyi-wa, "marmot" (p. 835); (IE in *peil- [cf. Lith. pi'lkas, "gray"], listed under 6. pel-, "*mouse")
(100)SO ("skin, flesh"), zha, "flesh, meat" (p. 1226); (IE in me:mso-)
investigate a second set
of root cognates
PL MORP[H]OLOGICAL ELEMENTS
IN (SINO-) TIBETAN
(not included under lexical headings)
The correspondence of 191 roots and 22+ formants suffices for a preliminary
study to establish the presumption of a genetic relationship.
to investigate these phonological correspondences in detail, see the
TABLE OF PL / IE / (SINO-)TIBETAN CORRESPONDENCES
NOTATIONAL CONVENTIONS
For an explanation of the Proto-Language and Indo-European notational conventions
used in these essays, press here.
(Sino-)Tibetan
The notation of the roots discussed above follows the orthography of Sarat Chandra Das in his
"A Tibetan-English Dictionary", 1995 (reprint of 1902), Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.
(Sino-)Tibetan Phonemes:
k, kh, g, q (/ng/),
c (/tsh/), ch (/tsh+h/), j (/dzh/), ny,
t, th, d, n,
p, ph, b, m,
ts, tsh (/ts/+/h/), dz,
w,
zh (/zh/ or /sh/), z,
H (/hh/),
y,
r, l,
sh (/sh/ or /ç/), s,
h, a ( for /?/)
i, i:, e, e:, a, a:, o, u, u:
Summary of Phonological Changes
from Proto-Language to (Sino-)Tibetan
for modifications of the vowels and consonants in combination, see the
Table of Modifications
In order for readers to judge the semantic plausibility of the analysis of
Proto-Language (PL) compounds suggested here, I am including access
to a table of Proto-Language Monosyllables
and the meanings I have provisionally assigned.
Most assignments can be exhaustively supported by data from actually attested forms but a few animates are very doubtful; and this list does not represent the "final" solution of these questions, which will only be approached when other scholars assist in refining it.
Patrick C. Ryan
Summer 1997
the latest revision of this document can be found at
HTTP://WWW.GEOCITIES.COM/Athens/Forum/2803/comparison.SINO-TIBETAN.10.htm
Patrick C. Ryan * 9115 West 34th Street - Little Rock, AR 72204-4441* (501)227-9947
PROTO-LANGUAGE@WorldNet.att.net