Where does “ma” come from?

ma (Zou) comes from Proto-Mon-Khmer maʔ, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan ma — no, not, negative, not have, none.

ma (Zou): himself, herself

Definitions

  1. himself, herself

Ancestry of “ma”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Mon-Khmermaʔinsect; seed; mother
2Proto-Sino-Tibetanmano, not, negative, not have, none
Every word from Proto-Sino-Tibetan ma →Every word from Proto-Mon-Khmer maʔ →