Proto-Hmong-Mien language
Encyclopedia
The Proto-Hmong–Mien language is the reconstructed ancestor
of the Hmong–Mien languages. Lower-level reconstructions include Proto-Hmongic and Proto-Mienic.
's 2010 reconstruction contains the following phonemic inventory.
Medial consonants are *-j-, *-l-, and *-r-.
Proto-Hmong–Mien had the following syllable structure (Ratliff 2010:10):
Proto-language
A proto-language in the tree model of historical linguistics is the common ancestor of the languages that form a language family. Occasionally, the German term Ursprache is used instead.Often the proto-language is not known directly...
of the Hmong–Mien languages. Lower-level reconstructions include Proto-Hmongic and Proto-Mienic.
Phonology
Martha RatliffMartha Ratliff
Martha Ratliff is a leading specialist in Hmong–Mien languages and professor at Wayne State University. She is also well known for her recent reconstruction of the Proto-Hmong–Mien language.-External links:*...
's 2010 reconstruction contains the following phonemic inventory.
- 51-54 consonants (including pre-glottalized and pre-nasalized consonants)
- 9 vowels
- 7 diphthongs
- 11 nasal rimes
Medial consonants are *-j-, *-l-, and *-r-.
Proto-Hmong–Mien had the following syllable structure (Ratliff 2010:10):
Vocabulary
Below are some reconstructed words roughly belonging to the semantic domains of agriculture and subsistence (Ratliff 2004; Greenhill et. al. 2008; Starling 1998). Terms for domesticated animals and non-rice crops are usually shared with Chinese, while vocabulary relating hunting, rice crops, and local plants and animals are usually not shared with Chinese.| Proto- Hmong–Mien | Proto-Hmongic | Old Chinese Old Chinese The earliest known written records of the Chinese language were found at a site near modern Anyang identified as Yin, the last capital of the Shang dynasty, and date from about 1200 BC.... | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| *ntshu C1 | lhaŋʔ (象) | elephant | |
| *ʔlen A1 | w(h)an (猿) | monkey | |
| *ŋgeu B2 | krun (麇) | river deer | |
| *tʂo B1 | hlāʔ (虎) | tiger | |
| *Glɐn B2 | shōŋ (蔥) | Chinese onion | |
| *Nqa:n A1 | mrū (茅) | cogon grass | |
| *n̥Ak B1 | nhāʔ (弩) | crossbow | |
| *pwɒn B1 ~ *pənX |
m-lak-s (射) | to shoot | |
| *ɳõ C2 | łhuk (逐) | to track, follow | |
| *qəi A1 | kē (雞) | chicken | |
| *m-nɔk | ttiwʔ (鳥) | bird | |
| *qlAu B1 ~ *qluwX |
*hmaŋ C | kkhwirʔ (犬) | dog |
| *ʔa:p B1 | ʔrāp (鴨) | duck | |
| *mpɒ C1 | prā (豝) | pig | |
| *ʑwɒə:ŋ A2 | g(h)ʷān (羊) | sheep/goat | |
| *ŋɔ:ŋ A2 | lhijʔ (兕) | water buffalo | |
| *dəp D2 | d(h)ōs (豆) | bean | |
| *peu B1 | snikʷ (菽) | soybean | |
| *vəu C2 | was (芋) | taro | |
| *mblau A2 | lhūʔ (稻) | rice plant; growing/unhusked rice |
|
| *ntsə:i C1 | mhījʔ (米) | husked rice | |
| *ȵa:ŋ C1 | mhījʔ (米) | cooked rice |