Reconstruction:Proto-Mon-Khmer/ɟʔuuɲ

This Proto-Mon-Khmer entry contains reconstructed words 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

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)