原始苗瑶語
Proto-Hmong-Mien
Hmong-Mien (proto)
Reconstructed common ancestor of the Hmong (Miao) and Mien (Yao) language families, spoken roughly 2500 BCE in the middle Yangtze region. Ratliff (2010) reconstructs ~600 roots with a four-way tone system (categories A B C D, marked here with H/X superscripts following Baxter-style notation). Several basic numerals (4 'four', 5 'five', 6 'six') were borrowed early from Tibeto-Burman, while domesticated-animal and crop terms show extensive contact with early Sinitic, reflecting PHM's role as a substrate of the lower-Yangtze cultural sphere.
Where it is spoken
Han character readings in Proto-Hmong-Mien
| Character | Meaning | Reading | Form | IPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 一 | one | *ʔɨ | /*ʔɨ/ | |
| 二 | two | *ʔu̯i | /*ʔu̯i/ | |
| 三 | three | *pjɔu | /*pjɔu/ | |
| 四 | four | *plei | /*plei/ | |
| 五 | five | *prja | /*prja/ | |
| 六 | six | *kruk | /*kruk/ | |
| 九 | nine | *N-ɟuə̯X | /*N-ɟuə̯X/ | |
| 十 | ten | *gju̯əpD | /*gju̯əpD/ | |
| 日 | sun | *hnu̯ɔiA | /*hnu̯ɔiA/ | |
| 月 | moon | *hlaH | /*hlaH/ | |
| 水 | water | *ʔu̯əm | /*ʔu̯əm/ | |
| 木 | tree | *ntju̯əŋH | /*ntju̯əŋH/ | |
| 虎 | tiger | *tsjɔB | /*tsjɔB/ | |
| 犬 | dog | *qluwX | /*qluwX/ | |
| 馬 | horse | *mjænB | /*mjænB/ | |
| 鳥 | bird | *m-nɔk | /*m-nɔk/ | |
| 魚 | fish | *mbrəuX | /*mbrəuX/ | |
| 人 | person | *lan | /*ʔja/ | |
| 頭 | head | *S-phreiX | /*S-phreiX/ | |
| 血 | blood | *ntshjamX | /*ntshjamX/ |
Sources
- Ratliff 2010
Han readings compared
Compared with related Hmong-Mien (proto) languages
| Character | Proto-Hmong-Mien | Proto-Tibeto-Burman | Proto-Sino-Tibetan | Proto-Japonic | Chinese (Han dynasty Classical) | Proto-Tungusic | Proto-Mongolic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 一 | *ʔɨ /*ʔɨ/ | — | *dyiək /*dyiək/ | *pitə-tu /*pitə-tu/ | *ʔi[t] /*ʔi[t]/ | *əmun /*əmun/ | *nigen /*niɡen/ |
| 二 | *ʔu̯i /*ʔu̯i/ | *g-nis /*g-nis/ | *nĭy /*nĭy/ | *puta /*puta/ | *ni[j]-s /*ni[j]-s/ | *dʒuər /*d͡ʒuər/ | *qoyar /*qojar/ |
| 三 | *pjɔu /*pjɔu/ | *g-sum /*g-sum/ | *sɨm /*sɨm/ | *mi /*mi/ | *s.rum /*s.rum/ | *ilan /*ilan/ | *gurba(n) /*gurban/ |
| 四 | *plei /*plei/ | *b-ləy /*b-ləy/ | *lĭy /*lĭy/ | *jə /*jə/ | *s.li[j]-s /*s.li[j]-s/ | *dügin /*dyɡin/ | *dörbe(n) /*dœrben/ |
| 五 | *prja /*prja/ | b- 形*b-ŋa /*b-ŋa/l- 形*l-ŋa /*l-ŋa/ | *ŋāH /*ŋāH/ | *itu /*itu/ | *C.ŋˤaʔ /*C.ŋˤaʔ/ | *tuɲga /*tuɲɡa/ | *tabu(n) /*tabun/ |
| 六 | *kruk /*kruk/ | *d-k-ruk /*d-k-ruk/ | *rŭk /*rŭk/ | *mu /*mu/ | *k.ruk /*k.ruk/ | *ɲuŋun /*ɲuŋun/ | *jirguɣa(n) /*dʒirɣuɣan/ |
| 九 | *N-ɟuə̯X /*N-ɟuə̯X/ | *d-kəw /*d-kəw/ | *kwɨH /*kwɨH/ | *kəkənə /*kəkənə/ | *[k]uʔ /*[k]uʔ/ | *xəgün /*xəɡyn/ | *yersü(n) /*jersyn/ |
| 十 | *gju̯əpD /*gju̯əpD/ | — | *k(ʰ)ĭp /*k(ʰ)ĭp/ | *təwə /*təwə/ | *t.[g]əp /*t.[g]əp/ | *dʒuwan /*d͡ʒuwan/ | *harba(n) /*harban/ |
| 日 | *hnu̯ɔiA /*hnu̯ɔiA/ | *nəy /*nəy/ | *nĭy /*nĭy/ | *pi /*pi/ | *C.nik /*C.nik/ | *siun /*siun/ | *naran /*naran/ |
| 月 | *hlaH /*hlaH/ | s- 形*s-la /*s-la/g- 形*g-la /*g-la/ | *(s-)lăH /*(s-)lăH/ | *tukuy /*tukui/ | *[ŋ]ʷat /*[ŋ]ʷat/ | *bēga /*beːɡa/ | *sara(n) /*saran/ |
| 水 | *ʔu̯əm /*ʔu̯əm/ | — | *tujʔ /*tujʔ/ | *mintu /*mintu/ | *s.turʔ /*s.turʔ/ | *mū /*muː/ | *usu(n) /*usun/ |
| 木 | *ntju̯əŋH /*ntju̯əŋH/ | — | *sĭŋ /*sĭŋ/ | *kəy /*kəi/ | *C.mˤok /*C.mˤok/ | *mō /*moː/ | *modu(n) /*modun/ |
| 虎 | *tsjɔB /*tsjɔB/ | — | — | — | *qʰˤraʔ /*qʰˤraʔ/ | — | — |
| 犬 | *qluwX /*qluwX/ | *kʷəy /*kʷəy/ | — | *enu /*enu/ | *[k]ʷʰˤenʔ /*[k]ʷʰˤenʔ/ | *ŋinda /*ŋinda/ | *noxai /*noxaj/ |
| 馬 | *mjænB /*mjænB/ | — | — | — | *mˤraʔ /*mˤraʔ/ | *murin /*murin/ | *mori(n) /*morin/ |
| 鳥 | *m-nɔk /*m-nɔk/ | — | — | *təri /*təri/ | *tˤiwʔ /*tˤiwʔ/ | *gasa /*ɡasa/ | *sibawun /*sibaʊn/ |
| 魚 | *mbrəuX /*mbrəuX/ | *ŋ(y)a /*ŋ(y)a/ | — | *iwo /*iwo/ | *[ŋ]a /*[ŋ]a/ | *nimaka /*nimaka/ | *jigasu(n) /*dʒiɣasun/ |
| 人 | *lan /*ʔja/ | *r-mi(y) /*r-mi(y)/ | *mĭ /*mĭ/ | *pitə /*pitə/ | *ni[ŋ] /*ni[ŋ]/ | *niama /*niama/ | *kümün /*kymyn/ |
| 頭 | *S-phreiX /*S-phreiX/ | — | — | *kasira /*kasira/ | *[m-t]ˤo /*[m-t]ˤo/ | *dil /*dil/ | *terixün /*terixyn/ |
| 血 | *ntshjamX /*ntshjamX/ | *s-hywəy /*s-hywəy/ | — | *ti /*ti/ | *m̥ˤik /*m̥ˤik/ | *sēksə /*seːksə/ | *cisu(n) /*tʃisun/ |
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