In this article, we will explore the topic of Nam language in depth, addressing its importance in today's society and its relevance in various areas. Nam language has become a topic of growing interest, since its impact extends to different areas of knowledge and daily life. Throughout these pages, we will analyze the main characteristics of Nam language, as well as its evolution over time and its influence in different contexts. Through a comprehensive approach, we will try to provide a panoramic view of Nam language, exploring its many facets and its relevance today.
Nam | |
---|---|
Region | Central Asia |
Sino-Tibetan
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | None (mis ) |
Glottolog | namm1235 |
Nam is an unclassified extinct language preserved in Tibetan transcriptions in a number of Dunhuang manuscript fragments. The manuscript fragments are held at the British Library and the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
According to Ikeda Takumi, the research of F. W. Thomas, published in 1948, concluded that Nam "was one of the old Qiang spoken around the Nam mountain range near Koko nor in Qinghai province", associated with a country called Nam tig which is mentioned in some historical records. However, Ikeda further states that Thomas' conclusions were widely criticized.
Glottolog accepts that it was at least Sino-Tibetan.
Wen (1981: 18–19) lists the following basic vocabulary items, which have been taken from Thomas (1948: 399–451).
No. | Chinese gloss | English gloss | Nam |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 天 | sky | mo, nam |
2 | 云 | cloud | gmog, mog, mog |
3 | 日 | sun | gnyi |
4 | 月 | moon | ’la, la |
5 | 火 | fire | sme/’me, ’me’i, me, ’mye, ye |
6 | 水 | water | ’ldya, ’ldya |
7 | 山 | mountain | ’ri, gri, gri’i, ’ri’i |
8 | 石 | stone | ’rto, rto |
9 | 虎 | tiger | cho |
10 | 熊 | bear (animal) | gre |
11 | 牦牛 | yak | ’brong |
12 | 马 | horse | rta, rta’, ’rta, ’rta’ |
13 | 驴 | donkey | gzu, ’ju , ’zu, ’dzu, ’ju’u’gduz |
14 | 狗 | dog | ’kyi |
15 | 猪 | pig | ’phag |
16 | 头 | head | ’bu, ’ko |
17 | 眼 | eye | ’me’i, méi, mye |
18 | 齿 | tooth | swa |
19 | 手 | hand | ’phyag |
20 | 心 | heart | syning, snyang |
21 | 盲 | blind | klu |
22 | 死 | dead | ’shi, shi (gshi, bshi) |
23 | 箭 | arrow | ’da’, ’lda’? |
24 | 门 | door | rgo, ’go, ’ko(rgor) |
25 | 大 | big | rbo, bo-bon, rbom, ’bom, ’rbom |
26 | 小 | small | byi, hbyi |
27 | 高 | high | shid, ’shid, tho, ’tho, stang, ’stang |