Musk deer are inherited: the reconstruction of the onset *t.ɬj- in Proto-Gyalrongic

• Main Author: Lai, Yunfan
• Other Authors: School of Humanities
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2024
• Subjects: Arts and Humanities; Gyalrongic languages; Sino-Tibetan languages; Regular sound change; Etymology re-construction; Historical linguistics; Musk deer
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/181596; https://benjamins.com/catalog/jhl.24014.lai
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This paper explores a rare sound correspondence pattern found in Gyalrongic languages, focusing on two etyma: ‘musk deer’ and ‘valley’. The reflexes in daughter languages exhibit different onsets, including palatals, alveolars, and laterals, which renders their genetic relationship non- obvious. Despite its significance, this correspondence pattern has been largely overlooked and insufficiently reconstructed. In this study, I propose a novel reconstruction of the onset, namely *t.ɬj-, elucidating the distinct reflexes observed in different sub-branches. Through this analysis, I demonstrate that both etyma have Sino-Tibetan origins. Additionally, the paper emphasises the importance of studying correspondences with limited examples and discusses the broader implications of such research for other domains.