Reconstruction:Proto-Sino-Tibetan/s-nəw

Etymology

 * Proto-Sino-Tibetan: *njuɣ (Coblin, 1986)
 * Proto-Tibeto-Burman: *s-nəw (Matisoff, STEDT), *nəw, *nuw (Weidert, 1987), *nuw (Benedict, 1972; Michailovsky, 1991), *nuw(*C) (Coblin, 1986)

According to Schuessler (2007), it may be an area word. Compare for instance 🇨🇬, 🇨🇬 and also 🇨🇬, whence 🇨🇬 and 🇨🇬 (Handel, 2008; Blust, ACD).

Chinese could alternatively be the endoactive derivative of, meaning literally “the one which is soft”.

Noun

 * 1) breast, nipple
 * 2) milk

Descendants



 * Modern Mandarin
 * Beijing: )
 * Himalayish
 * Tibeto-Kanauri
 * Bodic
 * Tibetan
 * Written, ,
 * Kuki-Chin
 * Central Chin
 * Lushai [Mizo]: hnute,
 * Tangut-Qiang
 * Northern Tangut
 * rGyalrongic
 * Situ:
 * Lolo-Burmese-Naxi
 * Lolo-Burmese
 * Burmish
 * Written
 * Written