Basque etymology :

Proto-Basque: *aṅai- / *ne-

Sino-Caucasian etymology: Sino-Caucasian etymology

Meaning: 1 brother (general) 2 brother (of a male) 3 brother (of a female)

Bizkaian: anai, anaie, anae 2, ne-ba 3

Gipuzkoan: anai 1

High Navarrese: anaie 1

Low Navarrese: anaie 1

Salazarese: anaxe 1

Lapurdian: anaie 1

Zuberoan: anáie 1

Roncalese: anaxe 1

Comments: The distinction between 'brother (of a male)' and 'brother (of a female)' is only Bizkaian: elsewhere *aṅai- serves for both meanings. The Bsq root *aṅai- ‘brother’ closely matches PNC *ʔānV(jV) ‘mother’ (phonetically). The explanation could be that this word was originally a descriptive attached to the original word for ‘brother’ (now lost), i.e. ‘brother (from the same mother)’, as opposed to a half-brother (brother with the same father but different mother). Cf. Greek ἀδεʎφός ‘brother’ / ἀδεʎφή ‘sister’, orig. ‘of the same womb’ = Old Indic sa-garbhya-. Typologically cf. also Lahndā matreā ‘half-brother’, matriā ‘half-brother or -sister’, Panjabi matreā, mateā ‘half-brother’ < OI *mātrēya ‘maternal’ (T 10024). The element *an- also seems to be present in Bsq *an-his-ba 'sister (of female)', q.v.

Sino-Caucasian etymology :

Proto-Sino-Caucasian: *ʔānV(jV)

Meaning: mother, aunt

North Caucasian: *ʔānV(jV)

Sino-Tibetan: *nējH

Basque: *aṅai- / *ne-

Comments and references : Cf. *HǟnV́.

North Caucasian etymology :

Proto-North Caucasian: *ʔānV(jV)

Sino-Caucasian etymology: Sino-Caucasian etymology

Meaning: mother

Proto-Tsezian: *ʔinVju ( ~ -ɨ-)

Proto-Dargwa: *ne-š

Proto-Lezghian: *ʔanaj

Proto-West Caucasian: *(a)nǝ

Notes: Although the root is not very widely spread in EC, it seems to have been the basic PNC word for 'mother' (opposed to *ʔŏbV̄(jV) 'father'), superseded in most EC languages by other expressive "children's words" (*babV, *jājV, *dajV) or its reduplicated variant *nǟnV (q.v.).

Tsezian etymology :

Proto-Tsezian: *ʔinVju ( ~ -ɨ-)

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: mother

Tsezi: enju / eniju

Comments: Cf. also Tsez. eni 'mummy'. The root is attested only in Tsez., but has probable external parallels.

Dargwa etymology :

Proto-Dargwa: *ne-š

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: mother

Akusha: neš

Comments: The suffix -š may be discerned on analogy with *t:ut:e-š 'father'.

Lezghian etymology :

Proto-Lezghian: *ʔanaj

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: 1 mother 2 grandmother

Tabasaran: ana 1 (Khaidakov)

Tsakhur: anaj 2

Abkhaz-Adyghe etymology :

Proto-West-Caucasian: *(a)nǝ

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: mother

Abkhaz: á-n

Abaza: anǝ

Adyghe: nǝ

Kabardian: āna

Ubykh: na

Comments: PAT *(a)nǝ; PAK *(a)nV; Ub. def. á-na. Although this is a nursery word, it is certainly the PNC root for 'mother'.

Sino-Tibetan etymology :

Proto-Sino-Tibetan: *nējH

Sino-Caucasian etymology: Sino-Caucasian etymology

Meaning: elder female relative

Chinese: 嬭 *nhrējʔ mother (Chu word according to Guangyun).

Tibetan: a-ne father's sister; woman, female, (W) wife.

Kachin: ni¹ a mother-in-law.

Lushai: ni a paternal aunt, any paternal female relation who belongs to the same generation as one's father.

Lepcha: njí, njí-kuŋ (njo-kuŋ) grand-mother

Kiranti: *ní

Comments: Mikir ni; Tsangla a-nye; Garo ma-ni; Kanauri ǝ-ne; Rgyarung ǝni; Rawang ǝni, Trung a³-ni² aunt; Miri ǝnyi. Sh. 117; Ben. 69.

Chinese characters :

Character: 嬭

Modern (Beijing) reading: nǎi

Preclassic Old Chinese: nhrējʔ

Classic Old Chinese: nhrḗ

Western Han Chinese: ṇhḗ

Eastern Han Chinese: ṇhiḗ

Early Postclassic Chinese: ṇhiẹ̄́j

Middle Postclassic Chinese: ṇhiẹ̄́j

Late Postclassic Chinese: ṇhiẹ̄́j

Middle Chinese: ṇạ̈́

English meaning : mother [Tang]

Russian meaning[s]: кормилица, см. 奶

Comments: A Chu word according to Guangyun. Cf. also 奶.

Sino-Tibetan etymology: Sino-Tibetan etymology

Radical: 38

Four-angle index: 3947

Kiranti etymology :

Proto-Kiranti: *ní

Sino-Tibetan etymology: Sino-Tibetan etymology

Meaning: aunt

Tulung: nin

Kaling: 'nin aunt (father's sister)

Limbu: nijā

Dumi: nini

Kulung: ni

Limbu dictionary :

Entry: nyaʔ

Kiranti etymology: Kiranti etymology

Grammar: n.

Meaning: 1) ego's paternal aunt, 2) wife of ego's maternal uncle.

Dumi dictionary :

Entry: nini

Kiränti etymology: Kiränti etymology

Grammar: n.

Meaning: paternal aunt, older or younger than father

Comments: cf. pusaim, phopho (1), te:te: (1).

Kulung dictionary :

Entry: ni

Kiranti etymology: Kiranti etymology

Grammar: n.

Meaning: paternal aunt, older or younger than father

Nepali: phupū.

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