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Proto-Hmongic language

Proto-Hmongic
Proto-Miao
Reconstruction ofHmongic languages
Reconstructed
ancestor

Proto-Hmongic or Proto-Miao (Chinese: 原始苗语)[1] is the reconstructed ancestor of the Hmongic languages.

Reconstructions

In China, the first comprehensive reconstruction of Proto-Hmongic (Proto-Miao) was undertaken by Wang Fushi (1979).[2] Wang's 1979 manuscript was subsequently revised and published as Wang (1994).[1]

Ratliff (2010) includes reconstructions of Proto-Hmong–Mien, Proto-Hmongic, and Proto-Mienic.[3]

Phonological development

Rimes

Below are some rime mergers in Proto-Hmongic, in which the first part of the Proto-Hmong-Mien rime is preserved.[3]

Proto-Hmong-Mien Proto-Hmongic
*ɛj, *u̯̯ɛj *u̯ɛ
*ei, *æi, *u̯ei, *u̯əi *u̯ei
*əj, *aj, *u̯əj *u̯a
*i, *i̯æn, *i̯əu, *i̯ɛk *i
*ɨ, *i̯eu, *eu, *ik, *ek *ɨ
*æu, *əu, *au, *ɔu *æw
*uj, *up, *ut, *uk, *u̯ɛt, *u̯ɛk *uw
*e, *ej, *ep, *et *e

On the other hand, Proto-Hmongic retains some Proto-Hmong-Mien rime distinctions, whereas Proto-Mienic has merged the rimes.[3]

Proto-Hmong-Mien Proto-Hmongic Proto-Mienic
*u̯ɛ *ɛj *ai
*u̯a *aj *ai
*i *i̯æn *æn
*æn *æn *æn
*æw *əu *əu
*o *əw *əu
*æw *au *au
*æ *æw *au
*æw *uw *u
*o *u̯o *u
*u *u *u
*uw *ut *ut
*ow *əut *ut
*uw *uk *ok
*ow *ok *ok
*in *i̯əŋ *i̯əŋ
*aŋ *i̯aŋ *i̯əŋ
*en *eŋ *eŋ
*ɔŋ *u̯eŋ *eŋ
*əŋ *əŋ *u̯əŋ
*ɔŋ *u̯ɔŋ *u̯əŋ
*əŋ *əuŋ *uŋ
*oŋ *uŋ *uŋ
*əŋ *əaŋ *aŋ
*aŋ *aŋ *aŋ
*ɛŋ *ɛŋ *əŋ
*ɔŋ *u̯əŋ *əŋ

Final stops

The Proto-Hmongic tonal category C is derived from Proto-Hmong–Mien final *-k, while tonal category D in Proto-Hmongic is derived from Proto-Hmong–Mien finals *-p and *-t. Below are some examples of Proto-Hmongic tone C corresponding to Proto-Mienic tone D and Proto-Hmong-Mien final *-k.[3]

Gloss Proto-Hmong-Mien Proto-Hmongic Proto-Mienic
bird *m-nɔk *m-nɔŋC *nɔkD
guest (MC khæk 客) *Khæk *qhæC *khækD
hundred (MC pæk 百) *pæk *pæC *pækD
strength (OC *kə.rək 力) *-rək *-roC *khləkD
six (PTB *k-ruk) *kruk *kruwC *krokD

Although Proto-Hmongic does not have explicitly reconstructed final stops (i.e., *-p, *-t, *-k), Pa-Hng and Qo Xiong have vowel quality distinctions that correspond to whether the Proto-Hmong-Mien rime was open or closed. For example:[3]

Proto-Hmong-Mien Pa-Hng (Baiyun) Qo Xiong (Jiwei)
*at e, i ei, i
*a a ɑ
*əp, *ət, *u̯ət a
*o, *u̯o, *əw, *i̯ou o

Qo Xiong has -u for words developed from Proto-Hmong-Mien forms with closed rimes, while Qo Xiong words developed from Proto-Hmong-Mien forms with open rimes have -ə.[3]

Proto-Hmong-Mien Qo Xiong
tone 7 (< *-p, *-t, *-k) u
tones 1; 3, 4 (< *-X); 5, 6 (< *-H) ə

Final nasals

Ratliff (2010) reconstructions only one final nasal for Proto-Hmongic. *-n/*-ŋ are in complementary distribution with each other, with *-n occurring after front vowels. Other than as *-ŋ, the Proto-Hmongic final nasal can alternatively be reconstructed as a single *-N.[3]

Taguchi (2022) proposes that nasal codas in open rimes in Proto-Hmongic are historically derived from nasal initial consonants.[4]

Proposed onset velarization

Ostapirat (2016) proposes velarized initials in Proto-Hmongic, which are not reconstructed by Ratliff (2010) and others. Qo Xiong retains distinct initial reflexes for forms developed from Proto-Hmongic *m.l-[a] (> Qo Xiong n-) versus *m.lˠ- (> Qo Xiong mj-).[5]

Gloss Proto-Hmongic Qo Xiong (Jiwei) Hmu (Yanghao) Mashan Miao (Zongdi)
rice plant *m.l- nɯ na mplæ
glutinous *m.l- nu nə mplu
tongue *m.lˠ- mjɑ ɲi mple
smooth *m.lˠ- mjɛ — mplein

Initial velar and uvular consonants

Taguchi (2023) also suggests that Ratliff's (2010) Proto-Hmongic *k- and *q- are in fact secondary developments from Proto-Hmong–Mien *kr- and *k-, respectively.[6] Ostapirat (2016) also revises Ratliff's uvulars (*q-, etc.) as velars (*k-, etc.).[5]

Irregular correspondences with Proto-Mienic

Some Proto-Hmongic and Proto-Mienic forms are cognate with each other, but a precise Proto-Hmong-Mien form cannot be easily reconstructed due to mismatches between the tonal categories, rimes, or onsets. Some examples of irregular correspondences between Proto-Hmongic and Proto-Mienic:[3]

Gloss Proto-Hmong-Mien Proto-Hmongic Proto-Mienic
to eat – *nuŋA *ɲənC
finger – *ntaB *ʔdokD
crossbow (*hnək) *hnænB *hnəkD
3SG (he/she/it) *ni̯æn(X) *niB *nænA
to go *n-mʉŋ(X) *n-mʉŋB *n-mɨŋA

See also

Notes

  1. ^ *m.- is a sesquisyllable.

References

  1. ^ a b Wang, Fushi 王輔世. 1994. Miaoyu guyin gouni 苗语古音構擬 / Reconstruction of Proto-Miao Language. Tokyo: Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa (ILCAA) / Ajia Afurika Gengo Bunka Kenkyūjo 國立亞非語言文化硏究所.
  2. ^ Wang, Fushi. 1979. Miaoyu fangyan sheng yun mu bijiao 苗语方言声韵母比较 [The comparison of the initials and finals of the Miao dialects]. Unpublished manuscript. Beijing.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Ratliff, Martha (2010). Hmong–Mien language history. Canberra, Australia: Pacific Linguistics. hdl:1885/146760. ISBN 978-0-85883-615-0.
  4. ^ Taguchi, Yoshihisa. (2022) Nasal transfer in Hmongic. Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area 45/1:72-92.
  5. ^ a b Ostapirat, Weera. 2016. Issues in the Reconstruction and Affiliation of Proto-Miao-Yao Archived 2019-11-13 at the Wayback Machine. Language and Linguistics 17(1) 133–145. doi:10.1177/1606822X15614522
  6. ^ Taguchi, Yoshihisa. 2023. Toward a new reconstruction of Proto-Hmong-Mien. 26th Himalayan Languages Symposium, 4-6 September 2023. Paris: INALCO.
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