Reconstruction:Proto-Sino-Tibetan/s-na ~ s-naːr

Etymology

 * Proto-Sino-Tibetan: ?
 * Proto-Tibeto-Burman: *s-na ⪤ *s-naːr (Matisoff, STEDT); *s-na (LaPolla, 1987; French, 1983; Benedict, 1972)

A convincing Chinese comparandum appears to be lacking. The Chinese word for "nose" (bí < OC *m-bit-s, "nose; to smell; loop handle, handling loop (of a utensil); origin, basis") <  (zì < OC *S.bit-s, "nose > self (?); to follow") is from 🇨🇬. Zhou Jixu has proposed that Chinese (niǔ < OC *n‹r›uʔ, "(*protruding part?) > knot (used as handle), button, fastener; origin, basis"),  (nǜ < OC *nuk, njuk, "nose bleeding") (all containing the phonetic component  (chǒu < OC *n̥ruʔ)) are reflexes of this root. The connection between "knot" and "nose" is also seen in Korean 코 (ko, "nose; snivel; tip, cap; stitch, link, knot").

Note that Proto-Sino-Tibetan has the same root *na for "ear" and "nose", distinguishing their meanings only with prefixes ("ear": ). A parallelism exists in Chinese (wén < OC *mun, "to smell; to hear").

Compare 🇨🇬 ~ (possibly < **sna ("nose")) and various nose-related words in English: snout, snort, sniff, snuff, sniffle, snuffle, snivel, snore, sneer, snitch, sneeze, snot, etc. These resemblances suggest onomatopoeic origin rather than cognacy; the sn- of sneeze and snore is, in fact, secondary.

Noun

 * 1) nose

Descendants

 * Himalayish
 * Tibeto-Kanauri
 * Bodic
 * Tibetan
 * Written
 * Eastern Bodish:
 * Tamangic
 * ,, (Mazaudon, 1994)
 * Tamang (Sahu):
 * Mahakiranti
 * Kiranti
 * Western Kiranti
 * Newar
 * Newar (Dolakhali):
 * Newar (Kathmandu):
 * Tangut-Qiang
 * Northern Tangut
 * rGyalrongic
 * Lolo-Burmese-Naxi
 * Lolo-Burmese
 * Burmish
 * Loloish
 * Northern Loloish
 * Yi (Liangshan): (in compounds also )
 * Karenic:
 * Khomic
 * Northern Chin
 * Loloish
 * Northern Loloish
 * Yi (Liangshan): (in compounds also )
 * Karenic:
 * Khomic
 * Northern Chin
 * Khomic
 * Northern Chin
 * Northern Chin