Reconstruction:Proto-Sino-Tibetan/lum

This Proto-Sino-Tibetan entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Sino-Tibetan

Reconstruction

Proto-Sino-Tibetan: *ljum (Coblin, 1986)
- Proto-Tibeto-Burman:
  - *lum (Benedict, 1972)
  - *s-lum ⪤ *lim (Matisoff, 2003)
  - *s-l(u/i)m (STEDT)

Chinese 燖 / 𬊈 (“to warm up”) is usually cited as 尋 / 寻 in Sino-Tibetan etymological literature. Schuessler (2007) refers to a passage in the received version of the 《國語》 (Discourses of the States), nonetheless, it is also attested in Han dynasty excavated texts such as 《五十二病方》 (Recipes for Fifty-Two Ailments) from the Mawangdui Silk Texts,^[1] and in the Tianhui bamboo manuscripts.^[2]

Verb

*lum

to be warm

Descendants

Chinese: 燖 / 𬊈 (OC *sə-l[ə]m (B-S), “to warm up”) (see there for further descendants)
Naic
- Proto-Naish: *(C)lu
  - ⇒ Naxi: lvqfvl
  - Narua: lhuq (/⁠ɬv̩˩˥⁠/)
  - Laze: [Term?] (/⁠ly˧⁠/)
Lolo-Burmese
- Burmish
  - Achang: [Term?] (/⁠lum⁵⁵⁠/)
  - Burmese: လှုံ (hlum)
- Proto-Loloish: *lum¹
Nungish
- Drung: leum
- Rawang: lø̀m
Proto-Kuki-Chin: *(h)lum
- Northeastern
  - Tedim Chin: lum
- Central
  - Falam Chin: hlum
  - Lai: lum
  - Mizo: lum
Jingpho-Asakian
- Jingpho: lum
Proto-Central Naga: *lVm
- Ao: alem
Proto-Tangkhulic: *lum
- Tangkhul Naga: khalum
Proto-Karen: *lamᴬ
Kho-Bwa
- Proto-Puroik: *a-ləm̄
Lepcha: ᰜᰤᰦᰮ (lyám, “to warm up (food)”)

References

^ 白于蓝, editor (2017), 简帛古书通假字大系 (in Chinese), →ISBN, page 1377
^ 劉楊 (2025) 天回醫簡校注及文字編 [An Annotation and Character Collection of Tianhui Bamboo Medical Manuscripts] (Thesis) (in Chinese), 吉林大學, page 64

[1] 白于蓝, editor (2017), 简帛古书通假字大系 (in Chinese), →ISBN, page 1377

[2] 劉楊 (2025) 天回醫簡校注及文字編 [An Annotation and Character Collection of Tianhui Bamboo Medical Manuscripts] (Thesis) (in Chinese), 吉林大學, page 64

[1]

[2]