Words for king: Greek, Tocharian, Sinitic

Sino-Platonic Papers is pleased to announce the publication of its three-hundred-and-fifty-seventh issue:  “Resurrecting an Etymology: Greek (w)ánax ‘king’ and Tocharian A nātäk ‘lord,’ and Possible Wider Connections,” by Douglas Q. Adams. (pdf) ABSTRACT Examined here is the possible cognancy of Homeric Greek (w)ánax ‘king’ and Tocharian A nātäk ‘lord’ and their respective feminine derivatives (w)ánassa ‘queen’ and nāśi ‘lady.’ ‘King/lord’ may reflect a PIE *wen-h₂ǵ-t ‘warlord’ or the like. Further afield is the possibility that a Proto-Tocharian *wnātkä might have been borrowed into Ancient Chinese and been the ancestor of Modern Chinese wáng ‘king.’ 

All issues of Sino-Platonic Papers are available in full for no charge. To view our catalog, visit http://www.sino-platonic.org/

Selected readings

• "Tocharo-Sinica" (5/13/24)
• "An early fourth century AD historical puzzle involving a Caucasian people in North China" (1/25/19)