dragon
—
thunder
21 realizations
Related shifts
| ID | Meaning 1 | Direction | Meaning 2 |
| ACCEPTED Realization 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| type | Polysemy | |
| language | Amdo Tibetan | |
| lexeme | ndʐək | |
| meaning 1 | dragon | |
| direction | — | |
| meaning 2 | thunder | |
| reference | Ding & Dong 2024: 7 | |
| comment | ||
| ACCEPTED Realization 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
| type | Polysemy | |
| language | Bokar | |
| lexeme | doŋ-gum | |
| meaning 1 | dragon | |
| direction | — | |
| meaning 2 | thunder | |
| reference | Ding & Dong 2024: 2 | |
| comment | ||
| ACCEPTED Realization 3 | ||
|---|---|---|
| type | Polysemy | |
| language | Byangsi | |
| lexeme | mukna | |
| meaning 1 | dragon | |
| direction | — | |
| meaning 2 | thunder | |
| reference | Ding & Dong 2024: 7 | |
| comment | ||
| ACCEPTED Realization 4 | ||
|---|---|---|
| type | Polysemy | |
| language | Eastern Yugur | |
| lexeme | ulə | |
| meaning 1 | dragon | |
| direction | — | |
| meaning 2 | thunder | |
| reference | Ding & Dong 2024: 8 | |
| comment | ||
| ACCEPTED Realization 5 | ||
|---|---|---|
| type | Polysemy | |
| language | Idu | |
| lexeme | bɯ31ɹuɑ35 | |
| meaning 1 | dragon | |
| direction | — | |
| meaning 2 | thunder | |
| reference | Ding & Dong 2024 | |
| comment | ||
| ACCEPTED Realization 6 | ||
|---|---|---|
| type | Internal cognates | |
| language | Japhug | |
| lexeme 1 | ʁjɯmbrɯɣ | |
| lexeme 2 | mbɣɯrloʁ | |
| meaning 1 | dragon | |
| direction | — | |
| meaning 2 | thunderstorm | |
| reference | Ding & Dong 2024: 5-6 | |
| comment | ||
| ACCEPTED Realization 7 | ||
|---|---|---|
| type | Polysemy | |
| language | Khaling | |
| lexeme | prengme | |
| meaning 1 | dragon | |
| direction | — | |
| meaning 2 | thunderbolt, lightning | |
| reference | Khaling dictionary | |
| comment | ||
| ACCEPTED Realization 8 | ||
|---|---|---|
| type | Polysemy | |
| language | Khams Tibetan | |
| lexeme | ndʐuʔ53 | |
| meaning 1 | dragon | |
| direction | — | |
| meaning 2 | thunder | |
| reference | Ding & Dong 2024: 7 | |
| comment | ||
| ACCEPTED Realization 9 | ||
|---|---|---|
| type | Polysemy | |
| language | Khroskyabs | |
| lexeme | mbrə̂ɣ | |
| meaning 1 | dragon | |
| direction | — | |
| meaning 2 | thunder | |
| reference | Ding & Dong 2024: 2 | |
| comment | ||
| ACCEPTED Realization 10 | ||
|---|---|---|
| type | Polysemy | |
| language | Kman | |
| lexeme | tɯ31mɑuŋ53 | |
| meaning 1 | dragon | |
| direction | — | |
| meaning 2 | thunder | |
| reference | Ding & Dong 2024: 2 | |
| comment | ||
| ACCEPTED Realization 11 | ||
|---|---|---|
| type | Polysemy | |
| language | Lhasa Tibetan | |
| lexeme | tʂu13 | |
| meaning 1 | dragon | |
| direction | — | |
| meaning 2 | thunder | |
| reference | Ding & Dong 2024: 7 | |
| comment | ||
| ACCEPTED Realization 12 | ||
|---|---|---|
| type | Polysemy | |
| language | Muya | |
| lexeme | ndʐu | |
| meaning 1 | dragon | |
| direction | — | |
| meaning 2 | thunder | |
| reference | Ding & Dong 2024: 2 | |
| comment | ||
| ACCEPTED Realization 13 | ||
|---|---|---|
| type | Polysemy | |
| language | Naxi | |
| lexeme | mv̩33gv̩33 | |
| meaning 1 | dragon | |
| direction | — | |
| meaning 2 | thunder | |
| reference | Ding & Dong 2024: 6 | |
| comment | Ninglang Naxi |
|
| ACCEPTED Realization 14 | ||
|---|---|---|
| type | Polysemy | |
| language | Queyu (Choyo, Choyu) | |
| lexeme | nɖʐu53 | |
| meaning 1 | dragon | |
| direction | — | |
| meaning 2 | thunder | |
| reference | Ding & Dong 2024: 7 | |
| comment | ||
| ACCEPTED Realization 15 | ||
|---|---|---|
| type | Polysemy | |
| language | rGyalrong (Tshobdun) | |
| lexeme | nbrəɣlɔʔ | |
| meaning 1 | dragon | |
| direction | — | |
| meaning 2 | thunder | |
| reference | Ding & Dong 2024: 2 | |
| comment | ||
| ACCEPTED Realization 16 | ||
|---|---|---|
| type | Polysemy | |
| language | Situ | |
| lexeme | ta-rmók | |
| meaning 1 | dragon | |
| direction | — | |
| meaning 2 | thunder | |
| reference | Ding & Dong 2024: 7 | |
| comment | ||
| ACCEPTED Realization 17 | ||
|---|---|---|
| type | Polysemy | |
| language | Tibetan | |
| lexeme | 'brug (འབྲུག) | |
| meaning 1 | dragon | |
| direction | — | |
| meaning 2 | thunder | |
| reference | <personally collected data> | |
| comment | ||
| ACCEPTED Realization 18 | ||
|---|---|---|
| type | Polysemy | |
| language | Tsangla | |
| lexeme | brung | |
| meaning 1 | dragon | |
| direction | — | |
| meaning 2 | thunder | |
| reference | Ding & Dong 2024: 2 | |
| comment | ||
| ACCEPTED Realization 19 | ||
|---|---|---|
| type | Polysemy | |
| language | Western Yugur | |
| lexeme | ulu | |
| meaning 1 | dragon | |
| direction | — | |
| meaning 2 | thunder | |
| reference | Ding & Dong 2024: 8 | |
| comment | ||
| ACCEPTED Realization 20 | ||
|---|---|---|
| type | Polysemy | |
| language | Xumi (Shixing, Shuhi) | |
| lexeme | mɛ33dʑyɛ53 | |
| meaning 1 | dragon | |
| direction | — | |
| meaning 2 | thunder | |
| reference | Ding & Dong 2024: 7 | |
| comment | ||
| ACCEPTED Realization 21 | ||
|---|---|---|
| type | Internal cognates | |
| language | Zhaba (nDrapa) | |
| lexeme 1 | ndʐu53 | |
| lexeme 2 | mʊ33tʂo31 | |
| meaning 1 | dragon | |
| direction | — | |
| meaning 2 | thunder | |
| reference | Ding & Dong 2024: 6 | |
| comment | Yajiang nDrapa, |
|
Dragons are associated with thunder in Eastern mythology (China, Mongolia etc.). According to the study (Ding & Dong 2024) semantic shift is distributed in the Tibet-Qinghai plateau and Hengduan Mountains areas. The geographic distribution corresponds with the historical territory controlled by the Tibetan Empire (618 to 842 CE). This alignment suggests that the Tibetan Empire appears to have been a key factor in establishing and propagating the “thunder-dragon” colexification across the languages spoken within its sphere of influence. The colexification pattern is formed by both phylogenetic inheritance (Bodic languages) and language contact (Burmo-Qiangic, Digarish, Kman-Meyor, Sinitic, Macro-Tani, Mongolic, and Turkic languages).
Proto-Tibeto-Burman *m-bruŋ ~ m-bruk 'dragon, thunder' (Matisoff 2003, STEDT), probably akin of Old Chinese *[mə]-roŋ (Baxter–Sagart), *b·roŋ (Zhengzhang), Middle Chinese lɨoŋ, Mandarin Chinese lóng (龍, 龙) 'dragon'; Old Chinese *brɯŋs (Zhengzhang), Middle Chinese bɨŋH, Mandarin Chinese bìng (靐) 'thunder'. The Proto-Sino-Tibetan *mbruŋ “thunder, dragon” is proposed in Baxter and Sagart 2014, with *m- as the animal prefix. In Old Chinese the meanings of “thunder” and “dragon” had already been separated before the appearance of Chinese characters, and had undergone their own phonetic changes.
In modern Sinitic languages there are no colexification 'dragon / thunder'. However, in some Sinitic languages, the concept of dragon is still closely associated with lightning (Ding & Dong 2024). In Harbin Mandarin, luŋ24tʂua44 (literally “dragon scratches”) means “lightning strikes,” Loudi Xiang nɤŋ13ɣɔŋ11ɕy42 (literally “dragon lands on water”) “lightning flashes;” Ningbo Wu loŋ24kuɔ̃53ɕi35 (literally “dragon light flash”) “lightning” and ɕi35loŋ24kuɔ̃53ɕi35 (literally “to flash dragon light flash”) “(lightning) flashes;” Luoyang Mandarin lyŋ31tʂua33 (literally “dragon scratches”) “lightning strikes” and lyŋ31thi33ku33 (literally “dragon debones”) “lightning strikes”. Based on geographical distribution Ding and Dong suggest that thunder/dragon colexification originated in northern China. This is consistent with the hypothesis of a northern origin for Proto-Sino-Tibetan. The association of the dragon with the rainbow was later introduced into Chinese culture later through interactions with speakers of Kra–Dai languages, who traditionally associated the rainbow with the dragon (Zoulei Gelao, central Guizhou, pu55jəɯ33 zai13 i55 'rainbow', literally meaning “dragon sips water”). Cultural exchanges between Han Chinese and Kra-Dai speakers are thought to have taken place more than 2,500 years ago, before the Spring and Autumn Period (770-481 BC).
Hongdi Ding & Sicong Dong (08 Aug 2024): Colexification of “thunder” and “dragon” in Sino-Tibetan languages, Asia Pacific Translation and Intercultural Studies, DOI:10.1080/23306343.2024.2383513
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