nắm

See also: Appendix:Variations of "nam"

Vietnamese

Etymology

From Proto-Vietic *-namʔ (Ferlus, 2007), with the straightforward Muong Bi cognate nẳm. Curiously, Ferlus (2007) also assigned this word, along with Pong nɨm⁴, to the reconstruction *-nəmʔ; both might be different reconstructions of one etymology. Chut [Mày] nɯ̆m⁴ ("to grasp") (Babaev & Samarina, 2018) might also be listed.

Compare maybe Riang [Lang] kᵊnəm² ("clenched (of fist)"). Schuessler (2007) suggests relation to 揇 (OC *nə̂mʔ) "to hold in hand".^[1]

Pronunciation

(Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [nam˧˦]
(Huế) IPA^(key): [nam˦˧˥]
(Saigon) IPA^(key): [nam˦˥]

Verb

nắm • (捻, 唸, 󱢰, 𪫶, 喃, 揇, 䋻, 𢶸)

to hold; to grip; to grasp
(figurative) to grasp (opportunity, power, etc.); to seize

Derived terms

Classifier

nắm

Used for a handful or fistful of something.

References

^ Schuessler, Axel. 2007. An Etymological Dictionary of Old Chinese. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. p. 396

Anagrams

mắn

[1] Schuessler, Axel. 2007. An Etymological Dictionary of Old Chinese. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. p. 396

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