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

Etymology

 * Proto-Sino-Tibetan: ?
 * Proto-Tibeto-Burman: *g/s-ni-s (Matisoff, STEDT); *g-nis (Benedict, 1972; Chou, 1972; LaPolla, 1987); *g-ni-s (Weidert, 1987)

Alongside the root for "three", this root for "two" is one of the most lexemically and phonologically stable numerals in Sino-Tibetan languages, and lexical replacement of this etymon is excessively rare: e.g. Jingpho which has not been successfully connected to anything else. The Jingpho word for "one" has a similar shape,, and is also etymologically unclear.

This root appears unmistakably cognate with. See there for more.

The Burmese form seems to suggest a proto-language velar final variant: *-ik.

Numeral

 * 1) two

Descendants



 * Modern Mandarin
 * Beijing: (èr, )
 * Cantonese
 * Guangzhou:
 * Wu
 * Shanghai: (colloquial)  (literary)
 * Old Chinese:
 * Cantonese
 * Guangzhou:
 * Hakka
 * Sixian:
 * Modern Mandarin
 * Beijing:
 * Himalayish
 * Tibeto-Kanauri
 * Bodic
 * Tibetan
 * Written
 * Tangut-Qiang
 * Northern Tangut
 * rGyalrongic
 * Sal
 * Bodo-Garo
 * Lolo-Burmese-Naxi
 * Lolo-Burmese
 * Burmish
 * Loloish
 * Northern Loloish
 * Yi (Liangshan):
 * (Luangthongkum, 2013)
 * Lolo-Burmese
 * Burmish
 * Loloish
 * Northern Loloish
 * Yi (Liangshan):
 * (Luangthongkum, 2013)
 * (Luangthongkum, 2013)