ศาลาชุมนุม

[Thomas]

To start in that way: When I heard my wife saying the first time that she does like not only rambutan (เงาะ) but /lin-chi/s as well I corrected her saying that the latter are called lychees, or litchis, or German Litschies, i.e. without /n/.

While my wife bought some fresh ... today ... I know meanwhile that in Thai ลิ้นจี่ actually has an /n/ but even 10 years later the /n/ in is as curious to me as 10 years ago...

So, following RID ลิ้นจี่ is as น. ...by etymology (จ. ลีจี), thus, 荔枝 [荔枝] lìzhī [植].
As วิเศษณ์ it has Chinese origin as well, but the Chinese term is a different one: ว. สีแดงเข้มกล้ายเปลือกลิ้นจี่ เรียกว่า สีลิ้นจี่. (จ. อินจี).
Please correct my translation "[lin-chi used as a modifier is] an intensive red colour resembling the skin of litchees, which is called (in Thai) si lin-chi (Chinese: in-chi). ...

1. in-chi = 面红耳赤 [面紅耳赤] miànhóng-ěrchì???
2. Anyone any idea where the n (in the noun) derives from (and what the meaning of the "Chinese term อินจี" is)?

SEAlang states the n in the Khmer linchi has Thai origin:

លិនជី linccii 1 n litchi fruit (Battambang). Thai líncìi

Lao term is with n as well but ... may be of Thai origin as well:

ລີ້ນຈີ່ lȋːn cīː 1 the litchi, Nephelium litchi .

Other languages using an n in litchi I do not know, thus, the /n/ itself of early Thai etymology?

[sourcherry]

Very interesting.

[cjkfung]

The extra /n/ in ลิ้นจี has also been a curiosity of mine as well.

Unfortunately, the RID doesn’t report the Chinese dialect associated with the etymology of the adjective phrase อิงจี ("red"). This doesn’t help with the transparency of origin! But if the etymology of อิงจี were Teochew, your hypothesis of 耳赤 might be supported as 耳赤 is pronounced as [gni ciah] (without regard to tone). But why not งีจี? (which could be phonotactically permissible in Thai?) The source phrase 耳赤 seems a bit farfetched however, since 耳赤 “red ear(s)” only used in this fixed idiomatic expression. I'm not aware of 耳赤 used as an adjective phrase in any dialect of Chinese.

I wonder if the จี of สิ้นจี comes from 子 which is found in so many different fruit names in Chinese.

[sarakiwistrow]

It's interesting too. I'm reading a very good knowledge. And I think I will put it to use on a daily basis. And publishing the body of knowledge that the people around you.

[poohlycatt]

Your information, I have to say, and then it turns out that it is true.

[Kogerrush]

Normally I never believe anything these sources.