Proto-Hmong-Mien
Proto-language (reconstructed) · historical / hidden variety
Proto-Hmong-Mien (Miao-Yao) is the reconstructed ancestor of the Hmong-Mien family of southern China and mainland Southeast Asia. On comparative-linguistic grounds it is commonly dated to around 500 BCE (about 2500 years ago, the mid-1st millennium BCE), with a hypothetical homeland in the middle Yangtze region, though its time depth is contested and some instead link it to older Neolithic rice-farming cultures. Only part of its basic vocabulary can be securely reconstructed, so most cells here are left blank.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Proto-Hmong-Mien
Water
*ʔuwm
/ʔuwm/
Fire
—
/—/
Sun
—
/—/
Moon
—
/—/
Star
—
/—/
Mother
—
/—/
Father
—
/—/
I
—
/—/
You
—
/—/
Name
—
/—/
Eye
—
/—/
Hand
—
/—/
Heart
—
/—/
Love
—
/—/
Tree
—
/—/
House
—
/—/
Dog
—
/—/
Cat
—
/—/
Eat
—
/—/
Drink
—
/—/
One
—
/—/
Two
*ʔwei
/ʔwei/
Hello
—
/—/
Thank you
—
/—/
Good
—
/—/
Sources
- Ratliff (2010) Hmong-Mien Language History
Words compared
Compared with related Proto-language (reconstructed) languages
| Meaning | Proto-Hmong-Mien | Goguryeo | Nicaraguan Sign Language | Tartessian | Liburnian | Meroitic | Messapic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | *ʔuwm /ʔuwm/ | 買 /*mai/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | 𐦠𐦶 /ato/ | — /—/ |
| Fire | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Sun | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | 𐦨𐦯 /ˈmasa/ | — /—/ |
| Moon | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Star | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Mother | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Father | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | ana /ˈana/ |
| I | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| You | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Name | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Eye | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Hand | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Heart | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Love | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| House | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Dog | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Eat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Drink | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| One | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Two | *ʔwei /ʔwei/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Good | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
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