Reconstruction:Proto-Naish/qap

This Proto-Naish entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Two previous attempts to etymologize these Naish words cannot be called successful:

• Li's comparison to Tibetan དཀར (dkar) is in error, since the word means "white", not "love".
• STEDT's derivation from "Proto-Tibeto-Burman" *r/m/d/s-ga is wrong, since the Naish word cannot have had an open-syllable rhyme (otherwise Naxi and Na would both display a, not the o actually attested).

To make any etymological progress, the following must be noted.

• The only sequences that can yield o in both Naxi and Na are *-oɣ and *-ap.
• The initial is of course either *k or *q: the contrast between them before *a was lost early on.

With this in mind, an impeccable Sino-Tibetan comparison for these Naish words presents itself: Chinese 愛 / 爱 (ài, “to love”), which is reconstructed under Baxter & Sagart's system as Old Chinese *ˤə-s. If related, the Chinese word would confirm *-ap as the Proto-Naish rhyme.

*qap

1. to love

• Naxi: goq (“dear, beloved”, adjective)
• Narua: gho (“to love”)

• Li, Zihe (2020) “原始納西語前冠音的來源與演變 ”, in Bulletin of Chinese Linguistics‎, volume 12, number 2, →DOI, →ISSN, page 212