Proto-Khmeric language

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.

Proto-Khmeric
Reconstruction ofKhmer dialects
Reconstructed
ancestor

Reconstructed forms

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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

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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

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Sidwell, Paul (2021). "Classification of MSEA Austroasiatic languages". The Languages and Linguistics of Mainland Southeast Asia. De Gruyter. pp. 179–206. doi:10.1515/9783110558142-011. ISBN 9783110558142. S2CID 242599355.