Proto-Khmeric language
Reconstructed ancestor of the Khmeric languages
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Proto-Khmeric language is the reconstructed proto-language of the Khmeric languages. It has been reconstructed by Sidwell & Rau (2015), whose reconstruction is based on the sound laws provided in Ferlus (1992). It is agreed by most scholars that this language was phased out by 300 CE.
ReconstructionofKhmer dialects
Reconstructed
ancestor
ancestor
| Proto-Khmeric | |
|---|---|
| Reconstruction of | Khmer dialects |
Reconstructed ancestor | |
Reconstructed forms
The reconstructed Proto-Khmeric forms below are from Sidwell & Rau (2015: 273, 340-363).
| Gloss | Proto-Khmeric |
|---|---|
| all | *grɔp |
| ashes | *pheːh |
| bark (of tree) | *smpɔːk |
| belly | *buŋ |
| big | *luoŋ ~ *ruoŋ |
| to bite | *tkiːr ~ *tkɛːr, *kat |
| black | *kmaw |
| blood | *ɟhaːm |
| boat | *duok |
| bone | *cʔəŋ |
| breast | *tɔh |
| to burn (vt.) | *tut, *ʔus |
| candle | *dian |
| claw/nail | *krcɔːk |
| cloud | *-(b/w)ɔːk |
| cold | *rŋaː(r) |
| to come/arrive | *mɔːk |
| die (of a person) | *slap |
| dog | *cɔː, *ckɛː |
| to drink (water) | *phik |
| dry (adj./stat.) | *praŋ |
| ear | *(t/c)rciək |
| earth/soil | *tiː |
| to eat | *cie |
| eye | *pnɛːk |
| fat/grease/oil | *klaɲ |
| feather | *slaːp |
| fire | *ʔus |
| fish (n.) | *triː |
| fly (v.) | *həːr |
| foot | *ɟəːŋ |
| full (vessel) | *beːɲ |
| give | *ʔoːj |
| good | *lʔɔː |
| green | *kciː |
| group | *buak |
| hair (of head) | *suk |
| hand | *təj |
| to hear/listen | *stap |
| heart | *klim |
| horn | *sneːŋ |
| I | *ʔaɲ |
| to kill | *psiət, *smlap |
| know | *cih, *sgal |
| leaf | *slik |
| to learn | *rian |
| to lie (down) | *tiek |
| liver | *tləːm |
| long | *wɛːŋ |
| louse (head) | *ciː |
| man/husband | *ɟmoːl |
| meat/flesh | *sac |
| moon | *khɛː |
| mountain/hill | *bnɔm, *duol |
| mouth | *mat |
| name | *ɟmɔh |
| neck | *kɔː |
| new | *tmiː |
| night | *jɔp |
| nose | *crmuh |
| not | *ʔət ~ *ʔɔt ~ *ʔit |
| oil | *prieŋ |
| one | *muoj |
| person/human | *ʔnak |
| rain | *pliəŋ |
| red | *krhɔːm |
| road, path | *gnlɔːŋ |
| root (of a tree) | *ris |
| round (object) | *wiel, *rwiəl, *rwɔŋ |
| sand | *ksac |
| see | *jɔl, *ghəːɲ |
| sit | *guj |
| skin | *spɛːk |
| sleep | *tiːk |
| small | *tic, *cmaːr |
| smoke (n.) | (?*psɛːɲ) |
| to offer | *ɟuon |
| to speak, say | *srtiː |
| to stand | *ɟhɔːr |
| star | *pkaːj |
| stone | *tmɔː |
| sun | *tŋaj |
| to swim | *hɛːl(?) |
| that (dist.) | *nɔh |
| this (prox.) | *nih |
| tongue | *ʔntaːt |
| tree | *ɟhəː |
| two | *bier |
| to walk, go | *təːr |
| warm/hot | *ktaw |
| water | *tɨk |
| white | *skuː, *sɔː |
| woman/wife | *knsaj, *kntaj |
Lexical innovations
Selected Khmeric lexical innovations:[1]
| Gloss | Proto-Austroasiatic | Old Khmer | Modern Khmer | Surin Khmer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ‘fish’ | *kaʔ | triː~treː | trəj | trɛj |
| ‘chicken’ | *ʔiər | – | moan | mɯan |
| ‘dog’ | *cɔːʔ | cʰkɛː | cʰkae | ʨkɛː |