In the wide and varied world of Proto-Palaungic language, there are endless aspects to explore and discover. Whether it's Proto-Palaungic language itself, its impacts on society, or its evolution over time, there is always something new to learn and reflect on. From its origins to its influence today, Proto-Palaungic language remains a topic of constant interest and debate. In this article, we will dive into different aspects of Proto-Palaungic language, exploring its importance, its challenges, and its possible future scenarios. Join us on this exploration and let's discover more about Proto-Palaungic language together.
Paul Sidwell (2015) suggests that the Urheimat (homeland) of Proto-Palaungic was in what is now the border region of Laos and Sipsongpanna in Yunnan, China. The Khmuic homeland was adjacent to the Palaungic homeland, resulting in many lexical borrowings among the two branches due to intense contact. Sidwell (2014) suggests that the word for 'water' (Proto-Palaungic *ʔoːm), which Gérard Diffloth had used as one of the defining lexical innovations for his Northern Mon-Khmer branch, was likely borrowed from Palaungic into Khmuic.
Reconstructed forms
The following list of Proto-Palaungic reconstructions, organized by semantic category, is from Sidwell (2015: 100-111).
Sidwell (2015) notes that Palaungic and Khmuic share many lexical items, but considers this phenomenon to be a result of lexical diffusion due to intense language contact. Sidwell (2015:112-113) lists the following Proto-Palaungic forms as having diffused from Palaungic into Khmuic.
Sidwell (2015:113) lists the following Proto-Palaungic forms as having diffused from Khmuic into Palaungic.
Khmuic > Palaungic lexical forms
*ɟɤːl ‘light in weight’
*kla(ː)w ‘testicles’
Sidwell (2015:114) lists the following Proto-Palaungic forms that are also shared with Khmuic but not with other Austroasiatic branches, and is unsure of whether they diffused from Palaungic to Khmuic or vice versa.
Sidwell, Paul and Felix Rau (2015). "Austroasiatic Comparative-Historical Reconstruction: An Overview." In Jenny, Mathias and Paul Sidwell, eds (2015). The Handbook of Austroasiatic Languages. Leiden: Brill.
Shorto, Harry L. Sidwell, Paul, Doug Cooper and Christian Bauer, eds. 2006. A Mon–Khmer Comparative Dictionary. Canberra: Australian National University. Pacific Linguistics. ISBN0-85883-570-3.