| Proto-Khmeric | |
|---|---|
| Reconstruction of | Khmer dialects |
Reconstructed ancestor | |
TheProto-Khmeric language is the reconstructedproto-language of theKhmeric languages. It has been reconstructed by Sidwell & Rau (2015), whose reconstruction is based on thesound laws provided in Ferlus (1992). It is agreed by most scholars that this language was phased out by 300 CE.
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 |
Selected Khmericlexical 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 |