laim

See also: Läim and ļaim̧

Belizean Creole

Noun

laim

  1. lime (fruit)

Verb

laim

  1. wash with lime

References
  • Crosbie, Paul, ed. (2007), Kriol-Inglish Dikshineri: English-Kriol Dictionary. Belize City: Belize Kriol Project, p. 207.

Samoan Plantation Pidgin

Etymology

From English lime.

Noun

laim

  1. lime

References
  • Mosel, Ulrike (1980) Tolai and Tok Pisin: the influence of the substratum on the development of New Guinea Pidgin (Pacific Linguistics; Series B, no. 73)‎, Canberra: Australian National University, →ISBN

White Hmong

Etymology

From Proto-Hmong *ljeᴰ (“lightning flash”), borrowed from Proto-Tibeto-Burman *s-lyap (“lightning flash; glitter; butterfly”). Compare Old Chinese 蝶 (OC *l̥ʰeːb, *l'eːb, “butterfly”), 燁 (OC *ɢʷab, *ɢʷɯb, “gleaming”), 熠 (OC *ɢrub, *lub, “flashing”). Probably not related to Chinese 雷 (léi, “lightning”), despite superficial similarity.[1]

The "flutter" and "cast away" senses are likely semantic extensions of the "flash" sense.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /lai̯˩̰/

Noun

laim

  1. used in xob laim (“lightning”)

Verb

laim

  1. to twitch, flutter
    qhov muag laim laim ― eyes twitching, eyes affected with spasm of fluttering
  2. to cast away, cast aside, throw away

Derived terms
  • laim muag (“to cast a sideways glance, to look from the corner of the eye”)

References
  • Heimbach, Ernest E. (1979) White Hmong — English Dictionary‎, SEAP Publications, →ISBN, pages 104-5.
  1. Ratliff, Martha (2010) Hmong-Mien language history (Studies in Language Change; 8), Camberra, Australia: Pacific Linguistics, →ISBN, page 66; 276.
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