Reconstruction:Proto-Austroasiatic/ʔaːŋ

This Proto-Austroasiatic 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-Austroasiatic

Etymology

• Proto-Austroasiatic: *ʔaːŋ (Sidwell, 2024, #AA166)
• Proto-Mon-Khmer: *ʔaaŋ (Shorto, 2006, #484)

For the initial *h in Proto-Vietic *haːŋʔ, compare the cases of *huːɲ (“to kiss”), *heːt (“finished”), *hanʔ (“he, she, it”), *hɔːŋʔ (“river, brook”), *haːr (“two”).

This root appears to be highly ideophonic and seems to be related to a variety of words in almost all branches:

• Proto-Monic *paaŋ "mouth, mouthful" (whence Mon ပါၚ်), Proto-Nicobarese *ʔoal-faːŋ "mouth", Proto-Khmuic *paːŋ (“to open”), Khmer បាង (baang, “bay, gulf”), Chong [of Chantaburi] paːŋ ("flower")
• Proto-Monic *raaŋ "to open, to bloom" (whence ရာၚ်), Proto-Khmuic *raːŋ (“flower”), Proto-Bahnaric *raːŋ (“flower”), Proto-Vietic *-raːŋ (“divorced”)
• Proto-Bahnaric *kaːŋ (“jaw, chin”), Proto-Katuic *kaaŋ (“mouth”), Proto-Vietic *kaːŋʔ (“mouth, chin”), Khmer កាង (kaang, “to spread, to stretch”), Bolyu qaːŋ⁵⁵ (“wings”)
• Proto-Bahnaric *daːŋ (“to crack, parted”), Proto-Katuic *kdaaŋ (“to spread (limbs) apart”), Proto-Khasian *pdaŋ (“crack”)
• Proto-Vietic *haːŋ (“cave”) < opening
• Proto-Vietic *m-laːŋ (“to open eyes”)
• Proto-Bahnaric *-jaːŋ (“to expand, bloat”), Mal jaːŋ ("to divorce, be divorced")

Verb

*ʔaːŋ

1. to open
2. to gape

Descendants

• Aslian:
  • Senoic
    • Semai: aang
• Proto-Khasian: *ʔaŋ (Sidwell, 2018)
  • Khasi: ang (“to open, to crack”)
  • Pnar: ang
• Proto-Khmuic: *ʔaːŋ (“open, empty”) (Sidwell, 2013)
  • Khmu:
    • Cuang: ʔaːŋ
  • Mlabri: ʔɯŋ-ʔaŋ
• Nicobarese: *ʔaːŋ (Sidwell, 2018)
• Proto-Palaungic: *ʔaːŋ (“to open mouth”) (Sidwell, 2015)
  • Lamet: ʔaːŋ
  • Riang:
    • Lang: ʔɑŋ¹
    • Sak: ʔɑŋ¹
• Proto-Vietic: *haːŋʔ (“to open (mouth)”) (Ferlus, 2007) (see there for further descendants)