#1285 PTB *m-(l/n)ey ⪤ *m-li PENIS

This is by far the most widely attested etymon for PENIS in TB, occurring in the NE Indian Areal Group, Himalayish, Lolo-Burmese (including Jinuo), and Qiangic. (See STC #262, which cites reflexes from the first three of these groups.) The nasal prefix is well-established, appearing e.g. in WT and other Himalayish languages. This prefix has caused nasalization of the root-initial lateral in several languages (e.g. Meithei and Jingpho), or even driven out or “preempted” the root-initial entirely (as in Chang Naga or Lahu). Those forms which have developed a secondary nasal root-initial are presented separately below as set #545 PTB *m‑ney PENIS. A couple of Loloish languages (Lalo, Lisu) have reflexes in h‑. It is possible that these point to an alternant with sibilant prefix, *s‑ley (as is reflected more directly in Phunoi hle¹¹ and Lepcha săli). Several Loloish languages (Lalo, Lipho, Lolopho, Nesu, Sani/Nyi) have words for PENIS and TESTICLE with initial d‑. Since it is true that there is much interplay between l‑ and d‑ in ST,¹ and it is also the case that palatalized labial initials are sometimes dentalized in Loloish languages like Sani,² it might seem reasonable to assign these reflexes in d‑ to *m‑ley if we posit an intermediate palatalized prototype like *myey. However, Lalo has forms with both d‑ and h‑ (de³³se²¹ ‘testicle’, he²¹ ‘penis’), which suggests that two separate etyma are involved. I am therefore assigning the reflexes in d‑ to #641 PTB *ti‑k PENIS, below.

Several languages have forms that resemble reflexes of this etymon, but which are really loans from Indo-Aryan (cf. Skt. lingam): WB lin‑khu’ ‘scrotum’, Kanauri liṅ ‘penis (polite)’.