The Proto-Khmeric language is the reconstructed proto-language of the Khmeric languages. It has been reconstructed by Sidwell & Rau (2015), whose reconstruction is based on the sound laws provided in Ferlus (1992). It is agreed by most scholars that this language was phased out by 300 CE.

Reconstructed forms 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

Lexical innovations Selected Khmeric lexical innovations:

Gloss Proto-Austroasiatic Old Khmer Modern Khmer Surin Khmer ‘fish’ *kaʔ triː~treː trəj trɛj ‘chicken’ *ʔiər – moan mɯan ‘dog’ *cɔːʔ cʰkɛː cʰkae ʨkɛː

See also Proto-Austroasiatic language

References

Ferlus, Michel. 1992. Essai de phonétique historique du khmer (Du milieu du premier millénaire de notre ère à l'époque actuelle). Mon-Khmer Studies 21: 57–89. Sidwell, Paul and Felix Rau (2015). "Austroasiatic Comparative-Historical Reconstruction: An Overview." In Jenny, Mathias and Paul Sidwell, eds (2015). The Handbook of Austroasiatic Languages. Leiden: Brill.