Proto-Hmong–Mien


Proto-Hmong–Mien is the reconstructed ancestor of the Hmong–Mien languages.
The date of proto-Hmong-Mien has been estimated to be about 2500 BP by Sagart, Blench, and Sanchez-Mazas. It has been estimated to about 4243 BP by the Automated Similarity Judgment Program, however, ASJP is not widely accepted among historical linguists as an adequate method to establish or evaluate relationships between language families. Lower-level reconstructions include Proto-Hmongic and Proto-Mienic.

Reconstructions

Reconstructions of Proto-Hmong–Mien include those of Purnell, Wang & Mao, Ratliff, and Chen, and Ostapirat. Proto-Hmongic has also been reconstructed by Wang, while Proto-Mienic has been reconstructed by Luang-Thongkum.

Ratliff (2010)

used 11 criterion languages for her reconstruction.
  1. East Hmongic ; Northern vernacular: Yanghao 养蒿, Yanghao Township, Taijiang County, Guizhou
  2. North Hmongic ; Western vernacular: Jiwei 吉卫, Jiwei Township, Huayuan County, Hunan
  3. West Hmongic : White Hmong of Laos and Thailand
  4. West Hmongic ; Mashan subdialect, Central vernacular: Zongdi 宗地, Zongdi Township, Ziyun County, Guizhou
  5. West Hmongic ; 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 base their Proto-Hmong–Mien reconstruction from the following 23 criterion Hmong-Mien languages.
  1. Yanghao 养蒿; Hmu, North
  2. Jiwei 吉卫; Qo Xiong, West
  3. Xianjin 先进 ; Chuanqiandian Miao, 1st lect
  4. Shimenkan 石门坎; Diandongbei Miao
  5. Qingyan 青岩; Guiyang Miao, North
  6. Gaopo 高坡; Huishui Miao, North
  7. Zongdi 宗地; Mashan Miao, Central
  8. Fuyuan 复员; Luopohe Miao, 2nd lect
  9. Fengxiang 枫香; Chong'anjiang Miao
  10. Qibainong 七百弄; Bunu, Dongnu
  11. Yaoli 瑶里; Nao Klao, Baonuo
  12. Wenjie 文界; Pa-Hng, Sanjiang
  13. Changdong 长峒; Jiongnai
  14. Duozhu 多祝; She
  15. Jiangdi 江底; Iu Mien, Guangdian
  16. Xiangjiang 湘江; Iu Mien, Xiangnan
  17. Luoxiang 罗香; Luoxiang Mien Ao Biao
  18. Changping 长坪; Changping Mien Biao Mon
  19. Liangzi 梁子; Kim Mun
  20. Lanjin 览金; Kim Mun
  21. Dongshan 东山; Biao Mon, Dongshan
  22. Sanjiang 三江; Biao Mon, Shikou Chao Kong Meng
  23. Daping 大坪; Dzao Min

    Phonology

Ratliff (2010)

's 2010 reconstruction contains the following phonemic inventory.
The full set of Proto-Hmong–Mien initial consonants is :
The 3 medial consonants are *-j-, *-l-, and *-r-.
The 6 final stop consonants are *-p, *-t, *-k, *-m, *-n, and *-ŋ.
The Proto-Hmong–Mien vowels are :
Front
Central
CentralCentral
Back
High
Mid-high
Central
Mid-low
Near-low
Low

Proto-Hmong–Mien has the following syllable structure :
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. Neighboring languages with vowel length include Cantonese and Zhuang.

Ostapirat (2016)

Ostapirat revises various reconstructed Proto-Hmong–Mien consonant initials proposed by Ratliff, and suggests that many proto-initials are in fact sesquisyllables, in line with Baxter & Sagart's Old Chinese reconstruction and Pittayaporn's Proto-Tai reconstruction. Examples include reconstructing *m.l- and *m.r- where Ratliff reconstructs *mbl- and *mbr-, respectively.
Ostapirat also reconstructs velarized initial consonants where Ratliff reconstructs -j- or -w-.
Additionally, Ostapirat revises Ratliff's uvulars as velars, and her palatals as either alveolars or palatals.

Vocabulary

Below are some reconstructed words roughly belonging to the semantic domains of agriculture and subsistence. Terms for domesticated animals and non-rice crops are usually shared with Chinese, while vocabulary relating to hunting, rice crops, and local plants and animals are usually not shared with Chinese.
Proto-
Hmong–Mien		Proto-HmongicOld ChineseEnglish
*ntshu C1lhaŋʔ elephant
*ʔlen A1wan monkey
*ŋgeu B2krun river deer
*tʂo B1hlāʔ tiger
*Glɐn B2shōŋ Chinese onion
*Nqaːn A1mrū cogon grass
*n̥Ak B1nhāʔ crossbow
*pwɒn B1 ~
  • pənX
m-lak-s to shoot
*ɳõ C2łhuk to track, follow
*qəi A1kē chicken
*m-nɔkttiwʔ bird
*qlAu B1 ~
  • qluwX
    		• *hmaŋ Ckkhwirʔ dog
    *ʔaːp B1ʔrāp duck
    *mpɒ C1prā pig
    *ʑwɒəːŋ A2gʷān sheep/goat
    *ŋɔːŋ A2lhijʔ water buffalo
    *dəp D2dōs　bean
    *peu B1snikʷ soybean
    *vəu C2was taro
    *mblau A2lhūʔ rice plant;growing/unhusked rice
    *ntsəːi C1mhījʔ husked rice
    *ɲaːŋ C1mhījʔ cooked rice

    The ethnonym Hmong is reconstructed as *hmʉŋA in Proto-Hmongic by Ratliff, while Mien is reconstructed as *mjænA in Proto-Mienic. In comparison, William H. Baxter and Laurent Sagart reconstruct the Old Chinese name of the Mán 蠻 as *mˤro.

    External relationships

    The Proto-Hmong–Mien language shares many lexical similarities with neighboring language families, including Austroasiatic, Kra-Dai, Austronesian, and Tibeto-Burman. Martha Ratliff lists the following lexical resemblances between Proto-Hmong–Mien and other language families. Proto-Hmongic and Proto-Mienic are provided if the Proto-Hmong–Mien form is not reconstructed.

    Austroasiatic

    Many lexical resemblances are found between the Hmong-Mien and Austroasiatic language families, some of which had earlier been proposed by Haudricourt. Proto-Austroasiatic reconstructions are from Sidwell & Rau.
    ;Lexical resemblances with Austroasiatic
    Other Austroasiatic parallels listed by Kosaka are:
    Ostapirat lists compares the following basic vocabulary items in Hmong-Mien and Austroasiatic.
    GlossProto-Hmong–Mien
    		Proto-Vietic
    		Proto-Wa
    louse*ntshjeiX*ciʔ*siʔ
    fruit*pji̯əuX*pleʔ*pliʔ
    road*kləuX*khraʔ*kraʔ
    shoot*pənX*paɲʔ*pɤɲ
    blood*ntshjamX*asaːmʔ*hnam
    weep*ʔɲæmX*jaːmʔ, *ɲaːmʔ*jam
    hawk*qlaŋX*klaːŋʔ*klaŋ
    cooked*sjenX *ciːnʔ*sin
    heavy*hnjeinX*naŋʔ
    full*pu̯ɛŋXpɔiŋ phoiɲ
    nose*mbruiH*muːs*mɨs
    name*mpɔuHjhmoh *mɨs
    horn*klɛɔŋ*kərəŋ*ʔrɤŋ
    water*ʔu̯əmʔom *rʔom
    live, alive*ʔjəmʔim *ʔem
    I*ʔja ʔoa *ʔɨʔ
    thou*mu̯eimày me
    one*ʔɨ-ʔu
    two*ʔu̯i-ʔa
    three*pjɔupaj -

    Further lexical resemblances between Hmong-Mien and Austroasiatic are listed in Hsiu.

    Kra-Dai

    Many lexical resemblances are found between the Hmong-Mien and Kra-Dai language families, although the tones often do not correspond. Proto-Tai reconstructions are from Pittayaporn. Many of the Proto-Tai forms also have close parallels with Proto-Austronesian.
    ;Lexical resemblances with Kra-Dai
    Kosaka lists many lexical resemblances between Kra-Dai and Hmong-Mien languages, and proposes that they form part of a larger Miao-Dai language family.

    Austronesian

    Many lexical resemblances are found between the Hmong-Mien and Austronesian language families, some of which are also shared with Kra-Dai and Austroasiatic. Proto-Austronesian and Proto-Malayo-Polynesian reconstructions are from Blust.
    ;Lexical resemblances with Austronesian and Kra-Dai
    ;Lexical resemblances with Austronesian and Austroasiatic
    ;Other lexical resemblances with Austronesian
    Ratliff notes that the Hmong-Mien numerals from 4-9 and various culture-related vocabulary have been borrowed from Tibeto-Burman. The Proto-Tibeto-Burman forms provided below are from James Matisoff.
    ;Lexical borrowings from Tibeto-Burman
    Additionally, Paul K. Benedict notes that Proto-Hmong–Mien contains loanwords from an unknown Tibeto-Burman language or branch, which Benedict refers to as Donor Miao-Yao. Reconstructions for some numerals that Benedict reconstructed for Proto-Donor Miao-Yao are given below.