Proto-Hmongic language explained

Proto-Hmongic
Also Known As:	Proto-Miao
Familycolor:	Hmong-Mien
Ancestor:	Proto-Hmong–Mien
Target:	Hmongic languages

Proto-Hmongic or Proto-Miao (Chinese: 原始苗语) 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).^[1] Wang's 1979 manuscript was subsequently revised and published as Wang (1994).^[2]

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-nɔŋ^C	nɔk^D
guest (MC khæk)	Khæk	qhæ^C	khæk^D
hundred (MC pæk)	pæk	pæ^C	pæk^D
strength (OC *kə.rək)	-rək	-ro^C	khlək^D
six (PTB *k-ruk)	kruk	kruw^C	krok^D

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- (> 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	–	nuŋ^A	ɲən^C
finger	–	nta^B	ʔdok^D
crossbow	(*hnək)	hnæn^B	hnək^D
(he/she/it)	ni̯æn(X)	ni^B	næn^A
to go	n-mʉŋ(X)	n-mʉŋ^B	n-mɨŋ^A

See also

• Proto-Hmong–Mien language
• Proto-Mienic language
• Hmongic languages
• Proto-Hmong-Mien reconstructions (Wiktionary)
• Proto-Hmongic reconstructions (Wiktionary)

Notes and References

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Book: Ratliff, Martha . Martha Ratliff . 2010 . Hmong–Mien language history . Canberra, Australia . . 978-0-85883-615-0 . 1885/146760 . free . none.
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 . Language and Linguistics 17(1) 133–145.
6. Taguchi, Yoshihisa. 2023. Toward a new reconstruction of Proto-Hmong-Mien. 26th Himalayan Languages Symposium, 4-6 September 2023. Paris: INALCO.