Reconstruction:Proto-Sino-Tibetan/s-ni-s

• Proto-Sino-Tibetan: *s-nis (Chou, 1972); *sn̥jis (Coblin, 1986)
  • Proto-Tibeto-Burman: *s-ni-s (Matisoff, STEDT); *s-nis (Benedict, 1972; Chou, 1972; LaPolla, 1987)

Apparently formed from the same root *ni(-s) as Proto-Sino-Tibetan *g/s-ni-s (“two”), showing the vestige of a quinary numeral system at some stage (probably much earlier than Proto-Sino-Tibetan), so that SEVEN was expressed as "5 + 2". However attempts to relate any part of this proto-form to the root for "five" (*l/b-ŋa‎) have been unsuccessful, and there is no evidence in other numerals (e.g. 6 and 1, or 8 and 3) to suggest the same quinary relationship.

Burmese has a prefix khu’ which as a separate morpheme means "unit, individual thing". Matisoff has argued that this component is cognate with *k(r)ut (“hand, arm”), the connection being via the five fingers used in counting. Tibetan བདུན (bdun, “seven”) is unrelated to this root and its etymology has been something of a mystery.

Preemption of the nasal root initial by prefix is seen in Chinese (if the Old Chinese reconstruction by Zhengzhang is valid) and Lolo-Burmese. Many Kuki-Chin-Naga languages have r-, ɣ- or g- as the root initial. Matisoff believes this resulted from "rhotacism", or liquefaction of the nasal.

*s-ni-s

1. seven

• Old Chinese: 七 /*sn̥id/ (Zhengzhang Shangfang); /*tsʰit/ (Baxter–Sagart)
  • Middle Chinese: 七 /t͡sʰiɪt/
    • Mandarin:

      Standard: 七 (qī) /t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵/

      Sichuanese: 七 (qi2) /t͡ɕʰi²¹/

      Dungan: чи (či) /t͡ɕʰiː²⁴/

    • Cantonese:

      Guangzhou: 七 (cat1) /t͡sʰɐt̚⁵/

      Taishan: 七 /tʰit̚⁵⁵/

    • Gan: /t͡ɕʰiʔ⁵/
    • Hakka:

      Sixian: 七 (chhit) /t͡ɕʰit̚²/

    • Huizhou: /t͡sʰiʔ²¹/, /t͡sʰi⁵/
    • Jin: /t͡ɕʰiəʔ²/, /t͡ɕʰiʌʔ¹³/, /t͡ɕʰiəʔ⁴³/
    • Min Bei:

      Jian'ou: 七 (chĭ) /t͡sʰi²⁴/

    • Min Dong:

      Fuzhounese: 七 (chék) /t͡sʰɛiʔ²⁴/

    • Min Nan:

      Hokkien:

      Xiamen, Zhangzhou: 七 (chhit) /t͡ɕʰit̚³²/

      Quanzhou: 七 (chhiak, chhit) /t͡ɕʰiak̚⁵/ (colloquial), /t͡ɕʰit̚⁵/ (literary)

      Teochew: 七 (cig4, cêg4) /t͡sʰik̚²/, /t͡sʰek̚²/

    • Xiang: /t͡sʰi²⁴/
    • Wu:
      • Shanghainese: 七 (qiq4) /t͡ɕʰiɪ̆ʔ⁵⁵/
    • → Ai-Cham: sit⁷
    • → Japanese: 七 (shichi, shitsu)
    • → Korean: 칠 (chil)
    • → Tai: *cetᴰ (see there for further descendants)
    • → Vietnamese: thất
• Tibeto-Burman:
  • Lolo-Burmese:
    • Burmish:
      • Burmese: ခုနစ် (hku.nac)
    • Loloish:
      • Sichuan Yi: ꏃ (shyp)
  • Qiangic:
    • Tangut: 𗒹 (śjạ) /*ɕʲa⁵⁵/
    • Situ: kəʃnəs
  • Sal:
    • Jingpho: sanit
• → Karen: *Ɂnweᴬ, *Ɂnwetᴰ (Luangthongkum, 2013)
  • S'gaw Karen: နွံ (nwi)

• *g/s-ni-s (“two”)