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Afroasiatic etymology :

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Proto-Afro-Asiatic: *sayam-
Meaning: grass
Borean etymology: Borean etymology
Semitic: *šamm- 'herb, grass'
Egyptian: sm.w (pyr) 'grass'
East Chadic: *swam- 'k of grass'
Beḍauye (Beja): sayam 'grass'
Low East Cushitic: *soyam- 'kind of plant'
afaset-meaning,afaset-prnum,afaset-sem,afaset-egy,afaset-ech,afaset-bed,afaset-lec,

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Semitic etymology :

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Number: 2667
Proto-Semitic: *samm-
Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology
Meaning: plant; poison
Akkadian: (šammu < 'plant' Kogan Add. to HSED 2, 2185)
Hebrew: pB sam(mā) Ja 998
Judaic Aramaic: sam(mā) Ja 998
Arabic: samm-, simm-, summ-
Tigrai (Tigriñña): sǝmi
Harari: summi
Mehri: sem
Harsusi: sem
Soqotri: sam
semet-proto,semet-prnum,semet-meaning,semet-akk,semet-hbr,semet-jud,semet-ara,semet-tgy,semet-hrr,semet-mhr,semet-hss,semet-soq,

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Egyptian etymology :

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Old Egyptian: sm.w (pyr)
Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology
Meaning: 'cabbage'
Coptic: *sim
Fayumic: sim
Akhmimic: sim
Bohairic: sim
Sahidic: sim
egyet-prnum,egyet-meaning,egyet-cpt,egyet-fff,egyet-aaa,egyet-bbb,egyet-sss,

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East Chadic etymology :

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Proto-EChadic: *swam-
Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology
Meaning: 'k of grass'
Bidiya: sṓmà [JBid]
echet-prnum,echet-meaning,echet-bid,

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Bedauye (Beja) etymology :

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Bedauye: sayam CHECK
Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology
Meaning: grass
bedet-prnum,bedet-meaning,

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Low East Cushitic etymology :

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Proto-Low East Cushitic: *soyam-
Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology
Meaning: 'kind of plant'
Oromo (Galla): sooyama
lecet-prnum,lecet-meaning,lecet-oro,

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Long-range etymologies :

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Borean (approx.) : CVMV
Meaning : grass, reed
Eurasiatic : *ćVmV
Afroasiatic : *sayam-
Sino-Caucasian : *c̣_wǝ̄nHē
Reference : ND 302.
globet-meaning,globet-nostr,globet-afas,globet-scc,globet-reference,

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Nostratic etymology :

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Eurasiatic: *cVmV
Meaning: a k. of grass?
Borean: Borean
Altaic: *č`i̯umu
Kartvelian: *ć̣em-
Dravidian: *ǯamb- ?
References: ND 302 *ciʔamV 'grass' (Turk.-Kartv.-Drav.).
nostret-meaning,nostret-prnum,nostret-alt,nostret-kart,nostret-drav,nostret-reference,

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Altaic etymology :

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Proto-Altaic: *č`i̯umu
Nostratic: Nostratic
Meaning: seed, cone
Russian meaning: семя, шишка
Turkic: *čɨm
Mongolian: *čöme
Tungus-Manchu: *čum- / *čim-
Comments: A Western isogloss.
altet-prnum,altet-meaning,altet-rusmean,altet-turc,altet-mong,altet-tung,altet-reference,

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Turkic etymology :

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Proto-Turkic: *čɨm
Altaic etymology: Altaic etymology
Meaning: 1 turf 2 meadow 3 various kinds of grass (with seeds)
Russian meaning: 1 дерн 2 луг, лужайка 3 различные виды трав
Karakhanid: čɨ/im 1, čimgen 1, 2
Turkish: čimen 2, čim 1; čemen 'тмин; пажитник'
Uzbek: čaman 2, čim 1
Uighur: čim 1, čimän 2
Azerbaidzhan: čämän 2, čim 1
Turkmen: čemen 2, 'bundle, bouquet'
Khakassian: čɨm-čolɣaj 'хлебенки (an edible bulbous plant')
Oyrat: čemene 'потничная трава'
Halaj: čämän, čimän 2 (< Pers.?)
Chuvash: čemčem/n 'горец, птичья гречишка' (Дмитриева-Саллонтаи VII, 49)
Kirghiz: čɨm 1; čemirček 'травянистое растение со съедобным корнем' (cf. also čɨmɨldɨq 'повилика', čɨmɨldɨrɨq, čɨmɨndɨq (dial.) 'чина')
Kazakh: šɨm 1
Noghai: šɨm 1
Gagauz: čim 1, čimen 1, 2
Comments: The primary root is *čɨm 'turf', whence *čim-gen 'meadow', borrowed in Pers. čaman (see EDT 423; not vice versa, despite TMN 2, 99-100); but many of the modern forms meaning 'meadow' or 'bouquet' are already backloans from Persian.
turcet-prnum,turcet-meaning,turcet-rusmean,turcet-krh,turcet-trk,turcet-uzb,turcet-uig,turcet-azb,turcet-trm,turcet-hak,turcet-alt,turcet-khal,turcet-chv,turcet-krg,turcet-kaz,turcet-nogx,turcet-gagx,turcet-reference,

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Mongolian etymology :

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Proto-Mongolian: *čöme
Altaic etymology: Altaic etymology
Meaning: fruit stone, grain, seed
Russian meaning: косточка, зерно, семя
Written Mongolian: čöme, čömü (L 202)
Khalkha: cöm
Buriat: seme- 'щелкать кедровые орехи'
Comments: Mong. > Evk. čīme, čēme etc. (see ТМС 2, 421).
monget-prnum,monget-meaning,monget-rusmean,monget-wmo,monget-hal,monget-bur,monget-reference,

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Tungus etymology :

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Proto-Tungus-Manchu: *čum- / *čim-
Altaic etymology: Altaic etymology
Meaning: cone (of any fir tree)
Russian meaning: шишка
Evenki: čunmī ( < *čum-nī)
Negidal: čimčukte
Ulcha: čimčikte
Orok: čipčikte
Nanai: čimčikte
Oroch: čimčikte
Comments: ТМС 2, 395, 414.
tunget-prnum,tunget-meaning,tunget-rusmean,tunget-evk,tunget-neg,tunget-ulc,tunget-ork,tunget-nan,tunget-orc,tunget-reference,

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Kartvelian etymology :

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Proto-Kartvelian: *ć̣em-
Nostratic: Nostratic
Russian meaning: трава, тростник
English meaning: grass, reeds
Georgian: lel-c̣am-, ler-c̣am-
Georgian meaning (Rus.): тростник; c̣am-al- 'лекарство'
Georgian meaning (Engl.): reeds; c̣am-al- 'medicine'
Megrel: (r)č̣em-
Megrel meaning (Rus.): pubes; larč̣am-, larč̣em- 'тростник'
Megrel meaning (Eng.): pubes; larč̣am-, larč̣em- 'reed'
Svan: č̣ēm
Svan meaning (Rus.): сено
Svan meaning (Eng.): hay
Laz: (n)č̣am-
Laz meaning (Rus.): лекарство
Laz meaning (Eng.): medicine
Notes and references: ЭСКЯ 121, 249, EWK 518-519. Ср. ПВК *c̣_wǝ̄nHē (/*Hnǝ̄c̣_wē) 'тростник' (NCED 595-596).
kartet-prnum,kartet-rusmean,kartet-meaning,kartet-gru,kartet-grmean,kartet-egrmean,kartet-meg,kartet-mgmean,kartet-emgmean,kartet-sva,kartet-svmean,kartet-esvmean,kartet-laz,kartet-lzmean,kartet-elzmean,kartet-notes,

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Dravidian etymology :

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Proto-Dravidian : *ǯamb-
Meaning : elephant grass
Nostratic etymology: Nostratic etymology
Proto-South Dravidian: *ǯamb-
dravet-meaning,dravet-prnum,dravet-sdr,

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South Dravidian etymology :

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Proto-South Dravidian : *ǯamb-
Meaning : elephant grass
Dravidian etymology: Dravidian etymology
Tamil : campu
Tamil meaning : elephant grass, Typha elephantina; sola pith
Tamil derivates : campaŋ-kōrai elephant grass; caṇpu elephant grass; a species of sedge grass
Kannada : jambu
Kannada meaning : a kind of reed or sedge, Typha angustifolia L.
Kannada derivates : ? āpu elephant grass, Typha elephantina Roxb.; ? joṇḍu elephant grass
Number in DED : 2347
sdret-meaning,sdret-prnum,sdret-tam,sdret-tammean,sdret-tamder,sdret-kan,sdret-kanmean,sdret-kander,sdret-dednum,

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Sino-Caucasian etymology :

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Proto-Sino-Caucasian: *c̣wǝ̄́nHē
Meaning: cane, reed
Borean etymology: Borean etymology
North Caucasian: *Hnǝ̄c̣_wē (/*c̣_wǝ̄nHē)
Sino-Tibetan: *ʒhu ( ~ ʒ́h-, -ew, -aw)
Basque: *siHi
Comments and references : cf. also *ć̣ăʡV 'reed, cane'?
sccet-meaning,sccet-prnum,sccet-cauc,sccet-stib,sccet-basq,sccet-notes,

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North Caucasian etymology :

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Proto-North Caucasian: *Hnǝ̄c̣_wē (/*c̣_wǝ̄nHē)
Sino-Caucasian etymology: Sino-Caucasian etymology
Meaning: reed, cane
Proto-Avaro-Andian: *c̣:ʷimʔa (/-nʔa)
Proto-Lezghian: *nac̣ʷ
Notes: An Av.-And-Lezg. isogloss; well represented in both subgroups and obviously archaic.
caucet-prnum,caucet-meaning,caucet-aand,caucet-lezg,caucet-comment,

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Avar-Andian etymology :

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Protoform: *c̣:ʷimʔa
North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology
Meaning: reed, cane
Avar: muc̣:í / nuc̣:í
Andian language: c̣:uma
Akhvakh: c̣:ʷani
Chamalal: ṣimi
Tindi: c:ū̃
Karata: c̣:un-di (pl.)
Godoberi: c:uma
Comments: Av. paradigm B (muc̣:í-dul, muc̣:á-bi). Cf. also And. dial. (Khaidakov) c̣:ʷa, Cham. Gig. c̣:ima. Old Tind. > Inkh. c̣ũj 'reed'; Av. > Tsez. nuc̣i, Gin. nic̣u id.
aandet-prnum,aandet-meaning,aandet-ava,aandet-and,aandet-akv,aandet-chm,aandet-tnd,aandet-krt,aandet-gdb,aandet-comment,

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Lezghian etymology :

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Proto-Lezghian: *nac̣ʷa
North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology
Meaning: reed, cane
Lezghian: nac̣
Tabasaran: nac̣ (Khiv.)
Agul: nec̣
Rutul: nac̣
Tsakhur: nac̣
Comment: Cf. also Lezg. Khl. nac̣ʷ (preserving the original labialisation which was lost everywhere else); Tsakh. Gelm. nac̣a. The latter form unambiguously points to the PL paradigm *nac̣ʷa, *nac̣ʷä- (cf. also Rut. nac̣a-; Tsakh. Mik. nac̣, nac̣ɨ- is secondary). In Ag. there occurred a regular fronting *a > e before a hissing affricate in a closed syllable. 4th class in Rut., Tsakh.

    See Хайдаков 1973, 62.

lezget-prnum,lezget-meaning,lezget-lzg,lezget-tab,lezget-agu,lezget-rut,lezget-cak,lezget-comment,

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Sino-Tibetan etymology :

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Proto-Sino-Tibetan: *ʒhu ( ~ ʒ́h-, -ew, -aw)
Sino-Caucasian etymology: Sino-Caucasian etymology
Meaning: sugar-cane
Kachin: kumšu3 sugarcane.
Lushai: fu sugarcane.
Comments: ? Cf. OC 藻 *cāwʔ 'algae; aquatic plants'.
stibet-prnum,stibet-meaning,stibet-kach,stibet-lush,stibet-comments,

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Chinese characters :

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Character:
Modern (Beijing) reading: zǎo
Preclassic Old Chinese: cāwʔ
Classic Old Chinese: cā́w
Western Han Chinese: cā́w
Eastern Han Chinese: cā́w
Early Postclassic Chinese: cā́w
Middle Postclassic Chinese: cā́w
Late Postclassic Chinese: cā́w
Middle Chinese: cấw
English meaning : algae; aquatic plants
Russian meaning[s]: 1) водоросль; 2) разукрашенный, расписной; витиеватый; цветной, цветистый; изящный (о стиле сочинения); 3) сочинение
Sino-Tibetan etymology: Sino-Tibetan etymology
Radical: 140
Four-angle index: 5194
Karlgren code: 1134 n, 1169 e
Shijing occurrences: 15.1_
bigchina-reading,bigchina-ochn,bigchina-cchn,bigchina-wchn,bigchina-echn,bigchina-epchn,bigchina-mpchn,bigchina-lpchn,bigchina-mchn,bigchina-meaning,bigchina-oshanin,bigchina-stibet,bigchina-radical,bigchina-oshval,bigchina-karlgren,bigchina-shijing,

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Basque etymology :

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Proto-Basque: *siHi
Sino-Caucasian etymology: Sino-Caucasian etymology
Meaning: rush, reed
Bizkaian: (Arratia, Orozko, Txorierri) zii, zi, (Durango, Gernika, Mañaria) zi
Comments: A western Bsq (BZK) etymon. Proto-Bsq could have been *sinHi, but there is no evidence of nasal vowels in the extant forms (no BZK-arc or ZBR or RNC forms). Phonetically similar to Bsq *siHi 'wedge, skewer', etc., but etymologically distinct.
basqet-prnum,basqet-meaning,basqet-bzk,basqet-comments,

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