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This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Various senses, all grouped together by MED:
For the "blue" and "dim" senses, not given etymology by STEDT (pjɑ²² "blue"). Luce gives Old Chinese翡 (OC *bɯls, “kingfisher; jadeite”) as a potential cognate.[1] This is semantically reasonable, though seems to rely on an older reconstruction of the Chinese as "b'ywar". Also compare with 白 (OC *braːɡ, “white”), since its Old Chinese homophone, 魄 (OC *tʰaːɡ, *pʰraːɡ), is cognate with archaic Burmeseပြာ(pra, “soul”).
For the "toss up rice grains" sense, not given etymology by STEDT (pra "toss up in basket, as rice, in order to clean it"), and not mentioned by Luce 1981. It doesn't seem related to the other senses, despite MED.
For the "ash" sense, STEDT derives the Burmese from Proto-Tibeto-Burman*pla(“ashes”), whence also Western Kayah(phe¹¹, “ashes, fireplace”). Perhaps the Tibeto-Burman root is ultimately related to the "blue" sense.”
^ Luce, G. H. (1981) “-A Finals (64. Blue)”, in A Comparative Word-List of Old Burmese, Chinese and Tibetan, London: School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, →ISBN, page 4
