Archaeoastronomy and Ancient Technologies 2021, 9(1), 62-72

DOI: 10.24412/2310-2144-2021-9-1-62-72

Identification of the Etymon of Indo-European 'Moist', Sinitic 'South', Tibeto-Burman 'Sun, Day, Sky' and Hungarian nap 'Sun, Day'

J. Gao

Beijing International Studies University, China; E-mail: gao.jingyi@bisu.edu.cn

Abstract

Using etymological methods, the present study has identified two Sinitic and Germanic shared (Sino-Germanic) etymologies (etyma):【南, 陰】. These two etyma form a rhyme correspondence. This regular sound change validates the etymological connection in question. The etymon 【南】 for 'southern sky' has been identified in Sinitic, Germanic, Baltic, Slavic, Celtic, Albanian, Hellenic, Anatolian, Armenian, Indo-Iranian, some Tibeto-Burman, some Uralic and Hungarian. The etymon 【陰】 for 'dark' has been identified in Sinitic, Germanic and Gyalrong. In words of Western linguistics, the Proto-Indo-European root *nebh- 'moist, water from it damp, mist, fog, cloud' is newly identified in Sinitic, some Tibeto-Burman, some Uralic and Hungarian; the Proto-Germanic root *ēbanþ-/ēbunþ- 'evening' is identified in Sinitic and Gyalrong.

Keywords: etymology, rhyme correspondence, Sinitic, Germanic, Indo-European, Sino-Germanic, Tibeto-Burman, Uralic, Hungarian, astronomical terms, sun, day

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