Kobe City University of Foreign Affairs, Journal of Research Institute, Vol 61, Topics in Middle Mekong Linguistics 2, 2020
Among the many and varied herpetofauna of China and Southeast Asia, two softshell turtles Rafetus... more Among the many and varied herpetofauna of China and Southeast Asia, two softshell turtles Rafetus sweihoei and Pelochelys contorii, stand out due to their enormous size. These turtles are linguistically differentiated from smaller species of the Trionychidae family in Chinese (yuan vs. bie) as well as in some Kra-Dai languages (top vs. faa). Cognates for top are limited to Central Southwestern Tai of northern Vietnam and Houa Phanh (Laos), Hlai on Hainan, and are found in the Austronesian languages of northern Luzon and Taiwan. Its etymology is not entirely clear but may derive from an old Chinese word as yet unreconstructed for the giant salamander Andrias davidianus that once inhabited much of central and eastern China. A Sino-Vietnamese lexeme giải ~ giài likely derives from Chinese xī ~ xí MC *xɦjyaj or *ɣwɛj meaning ‘sea turtle’ (Pulleyblank), and is not an indigenous Austroasiatic term.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Uploads
Papers