Long-range etymologies :

Borean (approx.) : LVMNV

Meaning : to lick, swallow

Eurasiatic : *lVm(ŋ)V

Afroasiatic : *limag- (also *lum- 'eat')

Sino-Caucasian : *ɫamV

Austric : PAA *lɛ:m 'lick', ? PAN *inem, *inum 'drink', Tai *lum id.

Amerind (misc.) : ? *nem 'tongue, lick' (R 772)

African (misc.) : Bantu *-dámb- 'lick'.

Nostratic etymology :

Eurasiatic: *lVm(ŋ)V

Meaning: to swallow

Borean: Borean

Altaic: *li̯ŭ̀mo ( ~ ĺ, -e)

Uralic: *ńVmV 'swallow' (Samd, Lapp)

Dravidian: *nuŋ- (*-n-?)

Chukchee-Kamchatkan: *'nǝmǝ- swallow

References: ND 1304 *LümV̈gV 'eat, swallow' ( + dub. IE and Arab.).

Altaic etymology :

Proto-Altaic: *li̯ŭ̀mo ( ~ ĺ, -e)

Nostratic: Nostratic

Meaning: to swallow, drink

Russian meaning: глотать; пить

Tungus-Manchu: *lümŋe-

Korean: *nǝm-ku-

Japanese: *nǝ̀m-

Comments: SKE 164, Poppe 74, Murayama 1962, 110, АПиПЯЯ 19, 69, 105-106, 274. An Eastern isogloss.

Tungus etymology :

Proto-Tungus-Manchu: *lümŋe-

Altaic etymology: Altaic etymology

Meaning: to swallow

Russian meaning: глотать

Evenki: nimŋe-

Even: ńimŋъ-

Negidal: nimŋe-

Spoken Manchu: nuŋǝmǝ, nuŋumǝ (402)

Literary Manchu: nuŋgi-, nuŋge-

Ulcha: luŋbe-

Orok: numGe-

Nanai: luŋbe-,lumge-

Oroch: ńimme-

Udighe: niŋme-, ńiŋme-

Solon: niŋe-

Comments: ТМС 1, 595.

Korean etymology :

Proto-Korean: *nǝm-ku-

Altaic etymology: Altaic etymology

Meaning: to swallow

Russian meaning: глотать

Modern Korean: nǝmgu-

Comments: SKE 164.

Japanese etymology :

Proto-Japanese: *nǝ̀m-

Altaic etymology: Altaic etymology

Meaning: drink

Russian meaning: пить

Old Japanese: nom-

Middle Japanese: nòm-

Tokyo: nóm-

Kyoto: nòm-

Kagoshima: nóm-

Nase: nùmj-

Shuri: núm-

Hateruma: nùm-

Yonakuni: nùm-

Comments: JLTT 737.

Uralic etymology :

Number: 150

Proto: *ime-

> Nostratic: > Nostratic

English meaning: to suck

German meaning: saugen

Finnish: ime- 'saugen'

Estonian: ime-

Khanty (Ostyak): em- (V DN)

Hungarian: em- (altung.) 'saugen', emlő 'Brust, Zitze'

Nenets (Yurak): ńimńe-, ŋaḿā- (O)

Nganasan (Tawgi): ńimiri-

Selkup: ńem- (Ty.)

Kamass: ńimēr-, emēr-

Addenda: Mot. нюмнiямъ 'грудь сосу' ?; Taig. nímu

K. Reshetnikov's notes: Lallwort (Rédei) - not obvious! Alongside with the forms listed in SAMDET 54 (which don't correspond to each other in regard to vocalism - see Notes in the above-mentioned record), we have also an etymological group reflecting Proto-Sam. *n'im- (and *n'im-ǝjr-) 'to suck' (see SAMDET 55), which may be related to Lapp *n'эmэ- 'to suck' (> N njâmmâ-, Not. n'imme-, Ter n'i̊mmi̊-, Kld. n'i̊mme-) and Komi Pm. n'imȧv- 'id.', thus going back to Ur. *n'im- (the Lapp-Komi parallel - without the Proto-Lapp reconstruction - is noted in UEW, and it is correctly kept apart from the Ur. stem 'to suck' having no initial *n'-). This situation is complicated by the circumstance that the North Sam. forms with *n'- (listed by me under Proto-Sam. *n'im-) may, in fact, still belong to Ur. */i/m-, the initial nasal being due to a prothesis regular for North Sam. (let's stress that it is only the North Sam. material that is characterized by such unambiguity). Note the presence of parallel forms apparently presenting two different Proto-Sam. stems - in particular, Kms. emēr- 'to suck' and n'imēr- 'id.'. In UEW, the Sam. reflexes of Ur. */i/m- and *n'im- are erroneously united under *ime-.

Yukaghir parallels: ibi 'saugen; to suck'

References: FUV; SKES; MUSz. 781; EtSz.; SzófSz.; MSzFgrE; TESz.; Collinder JukUr. 77

Dravidian etymology :

Proto-Dravidian : *nuŋ- (*-n-?)

Meaning : to swallow

Nostratic etymology: Nostratic etymology

Proto-South Dravidian: *nuŋ-

Proto-North Dravidian : *nunq-

Brahui : nug_h_ushing

Notes : NDR points to a possible *nun- with a suffixal *-k-; if so, SDR *nuŋ- < *nun-k-.

South Dravidian etymology :

Proto-South Dravidian : *nuŋ-

Meaning : to swallow

Dravidian etymology: Dravidian etymology

Tamil : nuŋku (nuŋki-)

Tamil meaning : to swallow, devour, drink in large draughts, take possession of, capture

Tamil derivates : noŋku (noŋki-) to swallow

Kannada : nuŋgu

Kannada meaning : to swallow, devour

Kannada derivates : nuŋguvike, nuŋguha swallowing

Tulu : niŋguni, niŋguḍuni, diŋguni, diŋguḍuni, (B-K also) nuŋgụ

Tulu meaning : to swallow

Proto-Nilgiri : *nuŋ-

Miscellaneous : KOR (M) nuṇudu, (O) nunu to swallow

Notes : Irregular reflexation in Tulu.

Number in DED : 3697

Nilgiri etymology :

Proto-Nilgiri : *nuŋ-

Meaning : to gulp

South Dravidian etymology: South Dravidian etymology

Kota : nuŋg- (nuŋgy-) "to gulp down without chewing"

Toda : nug- (nugy-) "to gulp down"

Number in DED : 3697

North Dravidian etymology :

Proto-North-Dravidian : *nunq-

Meaning : to swallow without chewing, gulp hastily, devour

Dravidian etymology: Dravidian etymology

Kurukh : nunUxnā (pass. nunUxrnā)

Malto : nung̣e

Number in DED : 3697

Brahui etymology :

Brahui : nug_h_ushing

Meaning : to swallow, devour, gulp down

Dravidian etymology: Dravidian etymology

Number in DED : 3697

Chukchee-Kamchatkan etymology :

Proto-Chukchee-Kamchatkan: *'nǝmǝ-

Meaning (Rus.): сделать глоток

Proto-Chukchee-Koryak: *i-nmǝ-, *Rǝmǝ-

Proto-Itelmen: *'i'-num-

Chukchee-Koryak etymology :

Itelmen etymology :

Proto-Itelmen: *'i'-num-

Chukchee-Kamchatkan etymology: Chukchee-Kamchatkan etymology

Meaning (Rus.): набрать в рот (воды)

Itelmen: 'i'-num-

Itelmen meaning: набрать в рот (воды)

Number in Volodin 1976: 413

Comments: Пеpвая часть значит 'вода'.

Afroasiatic etymology :

Proto-Afro-Asiatic: *limag-

Meaning: chew

Semitic: *lVmug- 'taste' (v.)

Western Chadic: Tangale lagme 'taste, touch, try, search'[Jg]

Central Chadic: *lig- 'swallow' < *lVg- Cf. E Kera ligi 'swallow' ? not from 'taste'

East Chadic: *lagVm- 'eat soft food'

Notes: Cf. GS *lVḳVm- 'munch, swallow': Or liqimsa, luquuma.

Semitic etymology :

Number: 837

Proto-Semitic: *lVmug-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'taste (v.)'

Arabic: lmǯ u,1

Central Chadic etymology :

Proto-CChadic: *lig-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'swallow'

Higi Futu: .

Mesme: liga-mo

Banana: ligi-mu

Notes: *lig- with a -mo/u verbal suff.

East Chadic etymology :

Proto-EChadic: *lagVm-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: 'eat soft food'

Tumak: lāgǝ̄m ='manger (de la 'boule' avec de la sauce) [Cp], ? ='eat hard food' in [CLR:119]

Kabalai: cf. liyǝ́m [CLR]

Sino-Caucasian etymology :

Proto-Sino-Caucasian: *ɫamV

Meaning: tongue, lick

Borean etymology: Borean etymology

North Caucasian: *ɫamV

Sino-Tibetan: *lēmH

Basque: *lam- / *lim-

Comments and references : WFR 92, BCD 39. Cf. PEA *-nām 'drink'.

North Caucasian etymology :

Proto-North Caucasian: *ɫamV

Sino-Caucasian etymology: Sino-Caucasian etymology

Meaning: licking, to lick

Proto-Avaro-Andian: *lam-

Proto-Lak: lanc̣a

Proto-Dargwa: *lemc̣

Proto-Lezghian: *lam

Notes: An expressive root with an exceptional phonological structure RVRV. The tendency to avoid such root structures probably had led to adding the suffix *-c̣V in the Lak-Darg. area. We can now only guess as to its original meaning: cf. perhaps PNC *=ic̣Ă 'to give, put' (cf. expressions like Rut. miz wɨs 'to lick' = 'to give tongue' etc.). Anyway, it is hard to separate the And. and Lezg. forms (going back to *ɫamV) from Lak-Darg. (going back to *ɫVmc̣V).

    The front vocalism in PD *lemc̣ could have been conditioned by the influence of PD *mec: 'tongue' (see *mĕlʒ_ĭ). It is interesting that the stem *lemc̣, in its turn, had influenced the root for 'tongue' in PD which gave rise to the coexistence of two stems: *mec: and *lec:mi (*lemc:i) in Dargwa dialects.

Avar-Andian etymology :

Protoform: *lam-

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: to lick

Andian language: lam-

Chamalal: nan-

Tindi: dan-d-

Karata: lam- (Tok.)

Comments: Cham. (cf. also Gig. nann-) and Tindi have assimilated forms: *lam-d- > *lan-d- > dan-d- / nan-d- (nann-).

Lak etymology :

Lak root: lanc̣a

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: to lick

Lak form: lanc̣a ṭun

Comments: Cf. Khosr. lanc̣a ṭun id. (a compound verb with a nominal component lanc̣a).

Dargwa etymology :

Proto-Dargwa: *lemc̣

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: to lick

Akusha: limc̣i-ḳes

Chiragh: lemc̣ barq̇ī

Comments: A compound verb (nominal component *lemc̣).

Lezghian etymology :

Proto-Lezghian: *lam

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: to lick

Archi: lam-(mus)

Udi: lam

Comment: An expressive Archi-Udi isogloss; however, it has good external parallels.

Sino-Tibetan etymology :

Proto-Sino-Tibetan: *lēmH

Sino-Caucasian etymology: Sino-Caucasian etymology

Meaning: chew, have in mouth

Chinese: 嘾 *l_ǝ̄mʔ keep in mouth.

Kachin: (H) lem, alem to munch, to chew, as with the gums.

Lushai: lem to swallow, gulp.

Kiranti: *lèm

Comments: Bahing liam tongue; Khambu, Yakha lem tongue; Kanauri, Thebor lem lick. Ben. 48.

Chinese characters :

Character: 嘾

Modern (Beijing) reading: dàn

Preclassic Old Chinese: l(h)ǝ̄mʔ

Classic Old Chinese: l(h)ǝ̄́m

Western Han Chinese: l(h)ǝ̄́m

Eastern Han Chinese: l(h)ǝ̄́m

Early Postclassic Chinese: d(h)ǝ̄́m

Middle Postclassic Chinese: d(h)ǝ̄́m

Late Postclassic Chinese: d(h)ǝ̄́m

Middle Chinese: dʌ́m

English meaning : keep in mouth

Sino-Tibetan etymology: Sino-Tibetan etymology

Radical: 0

Four-angle index: 0

Karlgren code: 0646 f

Kiranti etymology :

Proto-Kiranti: *lèm

Sino-Tibetan etymology: Sino-Tibetan etymology

Meaning: tongue

Sunwar: lē

Tulung: lem

Kaling: lem

Limbu: le-soppā

Dumi: lēm

Kulung: lem

Yamphu: lem

Comments: Toba 98 *lem.

Limbu dictionary :

Entry: lɛso:ʔl, -lso:ʔl-

Kiranti etymology: Kiranti etymology

Grammar: n.

Meaning: tongue

Dumi dictionary :

Entry: le:m

Kiränti etymology: Kiränti etymology

Grammar: n.

Meaning: tongue

Nepali: jibhro.

Derivation: [also attested in Sasarkā ]

Kulung dictionary :

Entry: lem

Kiranti etymology: Kiranti etymology

Grammar: n.

Meaning: tongue

Nepali: jibhro.

Yamphu dictionary :

Entry: lem

Kiranti etymology: Kiranti etymology

Grammar: n.

Meaning: tongue

Comments: lem hä:ppema lit. to bite the tongue, i.e. kick the bucket.

Basque etymology :

Proto-Basque: *lami- / *limi- / *mili-

Sino-Caucasian etymology: Sino-Caucasian etymology

Meaning: 1 to lick 2 to taste, savor 3 taster, gourmand 4 delicacy, candy

Bizkaian: (Araba) lami-z-tu 2

Gipuzkoan: (Bidania) lami-z-tu 2

High Navarrese: lami-ka-tu 1, lami-ti 3, lami-nurri 4

Low Navarrese: limi-ka-tu 1, (Aldude, Garazi) mili-ka-tu 1, 2

Salazarese: lami-ka-tu, lami-zka-tu 1, lami-ti 3

Lapurdian: mili-ka-tu 1, 2

Baztanese: mili-ka-tu 1, 2, limi-ti 3

Roncalese: lami-ka-tu 1, lami-ti 3, lami-nurri 4

Comments: There could be some influence from Rom. lambere, but the peculiar Bsq formations (*lam- ~ *lim-) and distribution of forms (in Pyrenean and peripheral dialects) could indicate survival of an archaic lexeme.

Austric etymology :

Proto-Austric: *[l]Vm

Meaning: drink

Borean etymology: Borean etymology

Proto-Austroasiatic: *lɛ:m ( + lVm 'eat' 1923)

Austroasiatic meaning: lick

Proto-Austronesian: *inem, *inum

Austronesian meaning: drink

Proto-Thai: bla:m.A to open mouth widely while eating; *lum drink

Notes: Here also AN, thai 'water'?

Austro-Asiatic etymology :

Proto-Austro-Asiatic: *lɛ:m

Meaning: lick

Austric etymology: Austric etymology

Khmer: bǝble:m

Proto-Khmu: *liam

Viet-Muong etymology :

Proto-Viet-Muong: *liemʔ, H-

Meaning: lick

Austro-Asiatic etymology: Austro-Asiatic etymology

Vietnamese: liếm

Vietnamese meaning: to lick (PH); trém lick one's lips (not in PH)

Muong dialect: liǝm.3

Phong: lɛ:m.4

Arem: ʔiliǝmʔ

Thavung-So: ʔalɛ:m.C.1

Thavung-So meaning: to lick

Thavung: hǝlɛ:m.3

Notes: F-97: *ʔa-lɛ:mʔ

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