Proto-Hmongic
AltnameProto-Miao
FamilycolorHmong-Mien
AncestorProto-Hmong–Mien
TargetHmongic languages

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-MienProto-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-HmongicProto-Hmong-MienProto-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]

GlossProto-Hmong-MienProto-HmongicProto-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-MienPa-Hng (Baiyun)Qo Xiong (Jiwei)
  • at
e, iei, i
  • a
aɑ
  • 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-MienQo 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]

GlossProto-HmongicQo Xiong (Jiwei)Hmu (Yanghao)Mashan Miao (Zongdi)
rice plant
  • m.l-
nɯnamplæ
glutinous
  • m.l-
nunəmplu
tongue
  • m.lˠ-
mjɑɲimple
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]

GlossProto-Hmong-MienProto-HmongicProto-Mienic
to eat–
  • nuŋA
  • ɲənC
finger–
  • ntaB
  • ʔdokD
crossbow(*hnək)
  • hnænB
  • hnəkD
(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. ^ 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. ^ 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. ^ 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.