Proto-Hmong–Mien language

Hmongic languages in red, Mienic languages in green

The Proto-Hmong–Mien language is the reconstructed ancestor of the Hmong–Mien languages. The time of proto-Hmong-Mien has been estimated to be about 2500 BP by Sagart, Blench, and Sanchez-Mazas and about 4243 BP by the Automated Similarity Judgment Program (ASJP).^[1] Lower-level reconstructions include Proto-Hmongic and Proto-Mienic.

Reconstructions

Past reconstructions include Wang & Mao (1995).

Ratliff (2010)

Ratliff (2010) used 11 criterion languages for her reconstruction.

1. East Hmongic (Qiandong); Northern vernacular: Yanghao 养蒿, Yanghao Township, Taijiang County, Guizhou
2. North Hmongic (Xiangxi); Western vernacular: Jiwei 吉卫, Jiwei Township, Huayuan County, Hunan
3. West Hmongic (Chuanqiandian): White Hmong of Laos and Thailand
4. West Hmongic (Chuanqiandian); Mashan subdialect, Central vernacular: Zongdi 宗地, Zongdi Township, Ziyun County, Guizhou
5. West Hmongic (Chuanqiandian); Luopohe subdialect: Fuyuan 复员, Fuyuan County, Yunnan
6. Hmongic; Jiongnai: Changdong Township 长垌, Jinxiu County, Guangxi
7. Hmongic; Baiyun Pa-Hng: Baiyun 白云, Rongshui County, Guangxi
8. Mienic; Mien, Luoxiang vernacular: Luoxiang Township 罗香, Jinxiu County, Guangxi
9. Mienic; Mun: Lanjin Township 览金, Lingyun County, Guangxi
10. Mienic; Biao Min: Dongshan Yao Township 东山, Quanzhou County, Guangxi
11. Mienic; Zao Min: Daping Township 大平, Liannan County, Guangdong

Wang & Mao (1995)

Wang & Mao (1995) base their Proto-Hmong-Mien reconstruction from the following 23 criterion Hmong-Mien languages.

1. Yanghao 养蒿; Hmu, North (ISO 693-3: [hea])
2. Jiwei 吉卫; Qo Xiong, West [mmr]
3. Xianjin 先进 ( = Dananshan 大南山); Chuanqiandian Miao, 1st lect [cqd]
4. Shimenkan 石门坎; Diandongbei Miao [hmd]
5. Qingyan 青岩;^[2] Guiyang Miao, North [huj]
6. Gaopo 高坡; Huishui Miao, North [hmi]
7. Zongdi 宗地; Mashan Miao, Central [hmm]
8. Fuyuan 复员;^[3] Luopohe Miao, 2nd lect [hml]
9. Fengxiang 枫香; Chong'anjiang Miao [hmj]
10. Qibainong 七百弄; Bunu, Dongnu [bwx]
11. Yaoli 瑶里;^[4] Nao Klao, Baonuo [bwx]
12. Wenjie 文界; Pa-Hng, Sanjiang [pha]
13. Changdong 长峒; Jiongnai [pnu]
14. Duozhu 多祝;^[5] She [shx]
15. Jiangdi 江底; Iu Mien, Guangdian [ium]
16. Xiangjiang 湘江; Iu Mien, Xiangnan [ium]
17. Luoxiang 罗香; Luoxiang Mien AKA Ao Biao [ium]
18. Changping 长坪; Changping Mien AKA Biao Mon [ium]
19. Liangzi 梁子; Kim Mun [mji]
20. Lanjin 览金; Kim Mun [mji]
21. Dongshan 东山; Biao Mon, Dongshan [bmt]
22. Sanjiang 三江; Biao Mon, Shikou AKA Chao Kong Meng [bmt]
23. Daping 大坪; Dzao Min [bpn]

Phonology

Martha Ratliff's 2010 reconstruction contains the following phonemic inventory.

• 51–54 consonants (including pre-glottalized and pre-nasalized consonants)
• 9 monophthong vowels
• 7 diphthongs
• 11 nasal rimes

Medial consonants are *-j-, *-l-, and *-r-.

Proto-Hmong–Mien had the following syllable structure (Ratliff 2010:10):

  (C) C [j/w/l] [i̯/u̯] (V) V C (C)^T

Ratliff does not reconstruct vowel length for either Proto-Mienic or Proto-Hmong-Mien. Even though Mienic languages usually have vowel length, Ratliff ascribes this to areal features that were borrowed after the breakup of Proto-Mienic.^[6] Neighboring languages with vowel length include Cantonese and Zhuang.

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	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

References and notes

1. http://wwwstaff.eva.mpg.de/~wichmann/AutomatedDatingFinal.pdf
2. Baituo, Qingyan Township, Huaxi District, Guiyang 贵阳市花溪区青岩乡摆托寨
3. Yejipo, Ganba Township, Fuquan County 福泉县甘坝乡野鸡坡寨
4. Mangjiang, Yaoli Township, Nandan County 南丹县瑶里乡芒降村
5. Chenhu, Duozhu Township, Huidong County 惠东县多祝乡陈湖村
6. http://sealang.net/sala/archives/pdf8/ratliff2007contrastive.pdf

• Niederer, Barbara. 1998. Les langues Hmong-Mjen (Miao-Yao): phonologie historique. Munich: Lincom Europa.
• Ostapirat, Weera. 2014. Issues in the Reconstruction and Affiliation of Proto-Miao-Yao. Paper presented at IsCLL-14, Taipei, Taiwan.
• Ratliff, Martha (1992). Meaningful Tone: A Study of Tonal Morphology in Compounds, Form Classes, and Expressive Phrases in White Hmong. Dekalb, Illinois: Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Northern Illinois University. ISBN 1-877979-77-5.
• Ratliff, Martha (2004). Tapp, Michaud, Culas, and Lee, ed. Vocabulary of Environment and Subsistence in the Hmong–Mien Protolanguage. Symposium on the Hmong/Miao in Asia. (Chiang Mai, Thailand: Silkworm Books). pp. 147–165. Manuscript.
• Ratliff, Martha (2010). Hmong–Mien language history. Canberra, Australia: Pacific Linguistics. ISBN 0-85883-615-7.
• Benedict, Paul K. (1942). "Thai, Kadai and Indonesian: a new alignment in south east Asia". American Anthropologist 44: 576–601. doi:10.1525/aa.1942.44.4.02a00040.
• Greenhill, S.J., Blust. R, & Gray, R.D. (2008). "Proto-Hmong–Mien word list". Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database. Department of Psychology, University of Auckland. Retrieved 2011-04-09.
• Greenhill, S.J., Blust. R, & Gray, R.D. (2008). "Proto-Hmongic word list". Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database. Department of Psychology, University of Auckland. Retrieved 2011-04-09.
• Greenhill, S.J., Blust. R, & Gray, R.D. (2008). "Proto-Mienic word list". Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database. Department of Psychology, University of Auckland. Retrieved 2011-04-09.
• Sergei Starostin, G. Bronnikov, Phil Krylov (1998). "Database query to Chinese characters". The Tower of Babel (Starling online). George Starostin. Retrieved 2011-04-09. (multiple entries)
• Wang Fushi, Mao Zongwu / 王辅世, 毛宗武. 1995. Miao Yao yu gu yin gou ni / 苗瑤语古音构拟. 中国社会科学出版社.