Proto-Altaic: *ni̯ùmà
Meaning: warm; soft, mild
Russian meaning: теплый; мягкий,нежный
Comments: EAS 76, KW 275, Martin 232 (Jpn.-Kor.), ОСНЯ 2, 86-87, АПиПЯЯ 69, 292, Дыбо 12, Мудрак Дисс. 91. The original meaning must have been 'soft, tender' (generally, or particularly - of weather, fruits etc.). An expressive root with phonetic variation, tending to contaminate with *ni̯ombu 'thin' q. v. (hence vocalic variation in Mongolian and Tungus; but despite Doerfer MT 69 it is hardly appropriate to regard the TM forms as mongolisms). In Mong. cf. also nalmi-gar ( < *namli-gar?) 'excessively soft, weak'.
