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Early Hick Lexicon — Body Terms

Entries in the Body Terms semantic field.

'ibris /ʔib.ris/
breath (noun) — Often used in ritual contexts [Sacred Terms, Body Terms]
Shows sacred prefix with basic term for wind/breath
'ilsul /ʔil.sul/
happiness, joy (noun) — Often appears in well-wishing expressions [Emotional Terms, Body Terms]
Shows cultural conceptualization of liver as seat of emotions, particularly positive ones
'u'u /ʔu.ʔu/
cry, weep (in sorrow/pain) (verb) — Often reduplicated for continuous crying [Sound Terms, Emotion Terms, Body Terms]
Proto-Hick *'uhu-'uhu
Onomatopoeic origin from crying/sobbing sound
aiesp /ai.esp/
bathe (noun) — Basic term for immersion in water [Water Terms, Motion Terms, Body Terms]
Shows lexicalization of subessive case into basic verb stem
arsil /ar.sil/
open wound, cut (noun) [Medical Terms, Body Terms, Injury Terms]
bresubel /bre.su.bel/
shout, yell (verb) — Basic term for loud vocal expression [Sound Terms, Body Terms, Communication Terms]
Proto-Hick *bresu-belu
Shows typical compound formation with body part term
dudup /du.dup/
swollen muscle (noun) [Body Terms, Medical Terms]
gralimris /gra.lim.ris/
excrement (noun) [Medical Terms, Body Terms]
hahu /ha.hu/
laugh, laughter (noun) — Preserves original meaning through irregular sound change [Sound Terms, Emotion Terms, Body Terms]
Proto-Hick *hahu
Shows irregular sound change preserving original 'laugh' meaning while regular form *halu developed into 'good' (via hi-halu > 'il)
imbel /im.bel/
bad language, swear words (noun) [Speech Terms, Body Terms, Taboo Terms]
imeresp /i.me.resp/
sleep (noun) — Shows metaphorical extension of breath/spirit sinking [Spirit Terms, Body Terms]
imtirdu /im.tir.du/
rotting meat (noun) [Food Terms, Death Terms]
cadaver (noun) [Body Terms, Death Terms]
Shows semantic extension from rotting meat to cadaver. Contrasts with du for fresh meat
kandup /kan.dup/
head lump, bump on head (noun) [Body Terms, Medical Terms, Injury Terms]
kawak /ka.wak/
soft (adjective) — Shows cultural association between softness and nurturing [Tactile Properties, Body Terms]
krak'er /krak.ʔer/
to bite (verb) [Action Terms, Body Terms]
krakrak /kra.krak/
fang (noun) [Body Terms, Animal Terms]
Shows nasal deletion in compound. Forms specialized term contrasting with general krak 'tooth'
krantak /kran.tak/
to pierce, stab (verb, noun) [Basic Actions, Weapon Terms]
physical pain (verb, noun) [Body Terms, Physical States]
Shows instrumental compound formation - striking with a spike
merkran /mer.kran/
emotional pain, heartache (noun) [Emotional Terms, Body Terms]
Shows metaphorical conceptualization of emotional pain as heart-piercing
mes /mes/
heart (noun) [Body Terms, Sacred Terms, Emotional Terms]
Proto-Hick *mesu
mes'er /mes.ʔer/
to feel (emotion), experience emotion (verb) [Emotional Terms, Body Terms]
Shows cultural distinction between heart-based emotions and liver-based deeper feelings
murlis /mur.lis/
night vision (noun) [Body Terms, Time Terms]
murvinu /mur.vi.nu/
stillbirth (noun) [Body Terms, Bodily Functions, Sacred Terms]
Uses mur- 'darkness' metaphorically for death
murvinuiter /mur.vi.nu.i.ter/
abortion (noun) [Body Terms, Bodily Functions, Sacred Terms]
Built on already lexicalized vinuiter, preserving the inland/fossil ellative-like -iter birth term
par /par/
crawl (verb) [Motion Terms, Body Terms]
*paru-heru
Shows semantic development from 'belly-motion' to general 'crawl'
saw /saw/
shit (noun) [Taboo Terms, Body Terms]
siltak /sil.tak/
physical pain (noun) [Body Terms, Sensation Terms]
sinibel /si.ni.bel/
taste (noun) — Shows metaphorical extension of floating motion to sensory perception [Taste Terms, Body Terms]
ul /ul/
thumb (noun) [Body Terms, Basic Terms]
Proto-Hick *ʔulu
Original root (~800 PF) had meanings 'thumb/grasp/possession'. By Late Proto-Hick (~400 PF), bare form specialized to 'thumb/possession'. Source of possessive suffix -ul through grammaticalization.
vin /vin/
pregnancy (noun) [Body Terms, Sacred Terms]
Proto-Hick *venu
Maritime standard form. Inland dialects preserve venu-sedu > vinused
vinlas /vin.las/
fetus, unborn child (noun) [Person Terms, Body Terms, Life Stages]
Shows lexicalization of case marking spatial relationship