Reconstruction:Proto-Sino-Tibetan/s-ŋja

• Proto-Sino-Tibetan: *ngyaɣ (Coblin, 1986); *ŋyɑ (Chou, 1972)
  • Proto-Tibeto-Burman: *s-ŋya (Matisoff, STEDT); *ngya (*B) (Coblin, 1986); *ŋya (LaPolla, 1987; Benedict, 1972); *ŋyɑ (Chou, 1972)

Common carp (Cyprinus carpio).

*s-ŋja

1. fish

• Old Chinese: 魚 ("fish"), 漁/䱷 ("to fish") (both: /*ŋa/ (ZS))

  (魚 in the oracle bone script)

  • Middle Chinese: 魚, 漁/䱷 (both: /ŋɨʌ/)

• • →   Japanese:  魚 (ぎょ, ​gyo)
          Korean:  어 (魚, eo)
          Vietnamese:  ngư (魚)

• • • Modern Mandarin
      • Beijing: 魚, 漁 (yú, /y³⁵/)
    • Cantonese
      • Guangzhou: 魚, 漁 /jyː²¹/
    • Wu
      • Shanghai: 魚, 漁 /ɦŋ̍²³/
  • Min
    • Min Nan
      • Taiwan: 魚, 漁 (both: /hi²⁴/, /hu²⁴/ (colloquial), /ɡu²⁴/ (literary for 魚))
• Himalayish
  • Tibeto-Kanauri
    • Bodic
      • Tibetan
        • Written Tibetan: ཉ (nya, “fish”)
    • Lepcha: ᰅᰫ (ngú, “fish”)
    • Tamangic
      • Tamang (Sahu): २तारङा (²tarŋa, “fish”)
  • Newar
    • Newar (Dolakhali): ङ (ŋa, “fish”)
    • Newar (Kathmandu): ञ (nya, “fish”)
  • Mahakiranti
    • Kiranti
      • Eastern Kiranti = Rai
        • Limbu: ᤏᤠ᤺ (naː, “fish”)
• Lolo-Burmese-Naxi
  • Lolo-Burmese
    • Burmish
      • Written Burmese: ငါး (nga:, “fish”)
    • Loloish
      • Northern Loloish
        • Yi (Liangshan): ꉛ (hxe, “fish”)

• Proto-Sino-Tibetan: ?
  • Proto-Tibeto-Burman: *s-ŋya (Matisoff, STEDT); *d‑ŋa (Matisoff, 2003)

*s-ŋja

1. tusk; tooth

• Old Chinese: 牙 /*m-ɢˁ<r>a/ (B-S), /*ŋraː/ (ZS) ("tooth")
  • Middle Chinese: 牙 (ŋˠa)
    • Modern Mandarin
      • Beijing: 牙 (yá, /ia³⁵/)
    • Cantonese
      • Guangzhou: 牙 /ŋaː²¹/
    • Wu
      • Shanghai: 牙 /ŋa²³/
  • Min
    • Min Nan
      • Taiwan: 牙 /ɡe²⁴/ (colloquial), /ɡa²⁴/ (literary)

• *s-nja-k (“flesh, meat”)
• *r/s-ŋ(y)a (“borrow, lend”)
• *ŋa (“I”)
• *l/b-ŋa (“five”)