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.

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

1. 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)