Proto-Hmongic or Proto-Miao () 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).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 Unpublished manuscript.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. Wang's 1979 manuscript was subsequently revised and published as Wang (1994).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.
Ratliff (2010) includes reconstructions of Proto-Hmong–Mien, Proto-Hmongic, and Proto-Mienic.
Phonological development Rimes Below are some rime mergers in Proto-Hmongic, in which the first part of the Proto-Hmong-Mien rime is preserved.
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.
Proto-Hmongic Proto-Hmong-Mien 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.
Gloss Proto-Hmong-Mien Proto-Hmongic Proto-Mienic bird *m-nɔk *m-nɔŋC *nɔkD guest (MC khæk ) *Khæk *qhæC *khækD hundred (MC pæk ) *pæk *pæC *pækD strength (OC *kə.rək ) *-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:
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.
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.
Taguchi (2022) proposes that nasal codas in open rimes in Proto-Hmongic are historically derived from nasal initial consonants.Taguchi, Yoshihisa. (2022) Nasal transfer in Hmongic. Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area 45/1:72-92.
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- (> Qo Xiong n-) versus *m.lˠ- (> Qo Xiong mj-).Ostapirat, Weera. 2016. Issues in the Reconstruction and Affiliation of Proto-Miao-Yao . Language and Linguistics 17(1) 133–145.
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.Taguchi, Yoshihisa. 2023. Toward a new reconstruction of Proto-Hmong-Mien. 26th Himalayan Languages Symposium, 4–6 September 2023. Paris: INALCO. Ostapirat (2016) also revises Ratliff's uvulars (*q-, etc.) as velars (*k-, etc.).
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:
Gloss Proto-Hmong-Mien Proto-Hmongic Proto-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 Proto-Hmong–Mien language Proto-Mienic language Hmongic languages Proto-Hmong-Mien reconstructions (Wiktionary) Proto-Hmongic reconstructions (Wiktionary)
Notes
References