Publication details
Was the Xiongnu gloss "dried fermented milk" borrowed from Tocharian?
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2015 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Journal of Sino-Western Communication |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Linguistics |
| Keywords | Chinese; Xiongnu; Tocharian; Iranian; glos; dried curd; milk |
| Description | In the present contribution the Tocharian etymology of the gloss mi-luo/lí/li "dried fermented milk" < Middle Chinese *mek-lwa (or *-lye) is introduced. It is based on Tocharian A malke, B malkwer "milk", replacing the etymological attempt of Bailey, who speculated about the Iranian source of the Xiongnu gloss, reconstructing *mi:la:ka- < *miža:ka- < *miyž- on the basis of Khotanese biśi:, beśi: "buttermilk", Yaghnobi mešin, mayšin id., Ossetic Iron mi:syn, Digor mesin "whey". |
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