Reconstruction:Proto-Mon-Khmer/ɟʔuuɲ

This Proto-Mon-Khmer entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Although the label of Proto-Mon-Khmer has mostly been abandoned or rejected, this reconstruction, which sourced from Shorto (2006)'s reconstruction for Proto-Mon-Khmer, currently does not have an appropriate Proto-Austroasiatic reconstruction. This reconstruction therefore should not be taken at face value as a state-of-the-art reconstruction for Proto-Austroasiatic, but instead ought to be treated as a valid cognate set.

Proto-Mon-Khmer

Etymology

Proto-Mon-Khmer: *ɟʔuuɲ ~ *ɟhuuɲ (Shorto, 2006, #887)

Notwithstanding Shorto (2006)'s reconstruction, this root probably had a zero-initial *ʔ-, as preserved in Aslian. Katuic and Vietic have a secondary *h-, while Palaungic has an obscure *k-. For the relationship between smelling and kissing, see Schapper (2019), and also cf. the compound hôn hít (“to kiss”) in Vietnamese.

Verb

*ɟʔuuɲ

to sniff, to smell

Descendants

Aslian: *ʔɔ̃ɔ̃ɲ ("to smell") (Phillips, 2012)
- Jahaic:
  - Kensiu: ʔɔɲ
  - Jahai: ʔɔɲ
- Senoic:
  - Semnam: ʔɔ̃ːɲ
Katuic: *huuɲ, *huoɲ (“to smell, to sniff”) (Sidwell, 2005)
- Katu:
  - Quảng Nam: hunh
- Ta'Oic:
  - Ngeq: huɲ
- Pacoh: hunh
Palaungic:
- Riang:
  - Sak: kuɲ² ("to smell")
Vietic: *huːɲ (“to kiss”) (Ferlus, 2007) (see there for further descendants)