Reconstruction:Proto-Sino-Tibetan/k-m-raŋ ~ s-raŋ

• Proto-Sino-Tibetan: ?
  • Proto-Tibeto-Burman: *k-m-raŋ ⪤ s-raŋ (Matisoff, STEDT); *m-raŋ ⪤ s-raŋ (Weidert, 1987; Benedict, 1972).

Similar roots also exist in other families in the region, cf.

• Languages of Southeast Asia
  • Proto-Tai: *maːᶜ (“horse”), a loan from Middle Chinese, whence Thai ม้า (máa), Lao ມ້າ (mā) (Pittayaporn, 2009)
  • Proto-Hmong: *mjænᴮ (“horse”), possibly a loan from some Tibeto-Burman language
  • Proto-Mon-Khmer: *mraŋ (“horse”), Shorto #707;

According to Benedict (1972), Proto-Mon-Khmer and Proto-Tibeto-Burman forms *m-raŋ and Old Chinese *mraʔ all descended from a plurisyllabic *m()raŋ() of unknown origin; further cf.

• Languages of Northeast Asia
  • Mongolian: морь (morʹ, “horse”)
  • Manchu: ᠮᠣᡵᡳᠨ (morin, “horse”)
  • Korean: 말 (mal, “horse”)
  • Japanese: 馬 (うま, uma, “horse”)
  • Ainu: ウンマ (umma, “horse”).

Compare also Nahali māv ("horse"), Proto-Indo-European *márkos (“horse”) (whence English mare, marshal; Irish marc).

Written Tibetan རྟ (rta, “horse”) is from a different proto-Tibeto-Burman source *rta (“horse”) and is hence unrelated.

Mongolian horse, the horse breed perhaps close(st) to the Chinese ancient horses (Cai et al., 2009.

Ceramic statues of a prancing horse (foreground) and a cavalryman on horseback (background), Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD) of China.

*k-m-raŋ ~ s-raŋ

1. horse

• Old Chinese: 馬 /*mˤraʔ/ (B-S), /*mraːʔ/ (ZS) ("horse")

  (in the oracle bone script)

  • Middle Chinese: 馬 (mɣaX)
    • → Proto-Tai *maːᶜ (Pittayaporn, 2009)
    • Modern Mandarin:
      • Beijing: 馬 /ma²¹³/
    • Wu:
      • Shanghai: 馬 /mo²³/ (colloquial), /ma²³/ (literary)
    • Cantonese:
      • Guangzhou: 馬 /mɑː¹³/
  • Min:
    • Amoy: 馬 /be⁵¹/ (colloquial), /ma⁵¹/ (literary)
• Kamarupan
  • North Assam
    • Deng
      • Taraon: mɑ³¹ ɹoŋ⁵⁵
  • Kuki-Chin: *raŋ ("horse")
    • Central Chin
      • Lai: ràŋ
    • Maraic
      • Lakher [Mara]: /ā rā/
  • "Naga"
    • Northern Naga
      • Wancho: /man/
• Himalayish
  • Tibeto-Kanauri
    • Bodic
      • Tibetan
        • Written Tibetan: རྨང (rmang, “(archaic, rare) horse”)
    • Western Himalayish
      • Zhang-Zhung: /hraŋ/
      • Kanauri: /raɴ/
      • Pattani [Manchati]: /hraŋ/
  • Mahakiranti
    • Kham-Magar-Chepang-Sunwar
      • Chepang: sĕraŋ
• Tangut-Qiang
  • Qiangic
    • Southern Pumi: zgyɛ̃¹³
    • Qiang (Longxi): /ʁò/
    • Qiang (Mawo): /ɹu/
    • Qiang (Mianchi): /ʐòu/
    • Queyu (Xinlong): /bre¹³/
    • Shixing: /rõ³⁵/
    • Zhaba (Daofu County): /mbʐo¹³/
  • rGyalrongic
    • Horpa: [script needed] (/ʐɣi/)
    • Japhug: mbro
    • Situ: mbro /mbroʔ/
    • Tshobdun: ⁿbri
• Jingpho-Nung-Asakian
  • Jingpho
    • Jingpho: kum³¹ ʒa³¹
  • Nungic
    • Nung: /mɛn³¹/
    • Drung: mɯ³¹ gɯ⁵³
  • Asakian
    • Sak: /məráŋ/
• Tujia
  • Tujia: /ma⁵³/
• Lolo-Burmese-Naxi
  • Lolo-Burmese:

    /*mraŋ²/ ("horse") (Matisoff, 2003)

    • Burmish
      • Achang (Longchuan): /m̥ʐaŋ³¹/
      • Written Burmese: မြင်း (mrang:, “horse”), မြည်း (mrany:, “donkey, ass”)
        • Modern Burmese (Rangoon): /mjíɴ/ ("horse")
    • Loloish:

      /*mraŋ²/ ("horse") (Bradley, 1979)

      • Northern Loloish
        • Nusu (Central): /mɹə⁵⁵/
        • Yi (Liangshan): ꃅ (mu, “horse”) /mu³³/
      • Central Loloish
        • Yi (Sani): /m̩⁵⁵/
      • Southern Loloish
        • Hani (Lüchun): /mo³¹/
  • Naxi
    • Na (Yongning): /ʐwæ⁵/
• Baic
  • Bai: maix (“horse”)