• Source: Proto-Mienic language

Proto-Mienic or Proto-Yao (Chinese: 原始瑶语) is the reconstructed ancestor of the Mienic languages.




Reconstructions


Reconstructions of Proto-Mienic (Proto-Yao) include those of Purnell (1970), L-Thongkum (1993), Ratliff (2010), and Liu (2021).
Purnell (1970) and L-Thongkum (1993) do not include any data from the divergent Biao Min and Zao Min languages. Purnell's (1970) Proto-Yao reconstruction is based on Iu Mien (Chiengrai [Chiang Rai, in Hwei Kang Pa ห้วยก้างปลา], Hsing-an [Xing'an], and Taipan [Đại Bản 大板] dialects) and Kim Mun (Haininh [Quảng Ninh] and Ling-chun [Lingchuan] dialects).
Liu's (2021) Proto-Yao reconstruction is based on data from Iu Mien (Jiangdi 江底 and Miaoziyuan 庙子源 dialects), Biao Mwan (Luoxiang 罗香), Kim Mun (Liangzi 梁子 and Tansan 滩散 dialects), Biao Min (Dongshan 东山 and Shikou 石口 dialects), and Zao Min (Daping 大坪). More than 500 lexical items are reconstructed.




Phonology






= Consonants

=
Liu (2021:78-80) gives the following consonant inventory for Proto-Mienic.

Initial consonants can be preglottalized, aspirated, or devoiced. Final consonants include /-p, -t, -k, -m, -n, -ŋ/.



Proposed velarization

Ostapirat (2016) proposes velarized initials in Proto-Mienic, which are not reconstructed by Liu (2021), Ratliff (2010), and others. Below is a comparison of selected Proto-Mienic reconstructions with initial bilabial stops from Ostapirat (2016), Liu (2021), L-Thongkum (1993) ("Pre-Mjuenic" reconstructions), and Ratliff (2010).




= Vowels

=
Liu (2021:165) reconstructs 8 Proto-Mienic vowels.

*ɛ only occurs as part of the rimes *-ɛːŋ and *-ɛk.
Liu (2021) reconstructs contrastive vowel length for Proto-Mienic. However, L-Thongkum (1993) and Ratliff (2010) do not reconstruct vowel length for Proto-Mienic, as they consider vowel length in synchronic Mienic languages to be later prosodic developments.




Sound correspondences


Sound correspondences among the Mienic languages from Liu (2021):




= Initials

=
Reflexes of Proto-Mienic initials in synchronic Mienic languages are as follows (Liu 2021). Prenasalized Pre-Mienic initials are reconstructed; these developed into certain preglottalized and aspirated Proto-Mienic initials.




= Rimes

=
Reflexes of Proto-Mienic rimes in synchronic Mienic languages (Liu 2021):




= Tones

=
Proto-Mienic tonal categories and their respective tone pitch reflexes in synchronic Mienic languages (Liu 2021):




Sound changes


Sound change innovations in synchronic Mienic languages (Liu 2021:156–157, 228):




Footnotes






See also


Proto-Hmong–Mien language
Proto-Hmongic language
Mienic languages
Proto-Hmong-Mien reconstructions (Wiktionary)
Proto-Mienic reconstructions (Wiktionary)
Mienic comparative vocabulary list (Wiktionary)




References

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Proto-Mienic language
• Proto-Hmong–Mien language
• Mienic languages
• Hmong–Mien languages
• List of proto-languages
• Proto-Hmongic language
• Biao Mon language
• Proto-Austroasiatic language
• Proto-Austronesian language
• Austric languages