# Mnong language

The Mnong language (also known as Pnong or Bunong) (Bunong: ឞូន៝ង) belongs to the Austro-Asiatic language family. It is spoken by the different groups of Mnong in Vietnam and a Pnong group in Cambodia.

## Distribution

In Vietnam, Mnong is spoken in the districts of Đăk Song, Đăk Mil, Đăk R'Lấp, Krông Nô, Gia Nghĩa, and other nearby locations in Đắk Nông Province (Nguyễn & Trương 2009).

## Varieties

According to Ethnologue, four major dialects exist: Central, Eastern and Southern Mnong (all spoken in Vietnam), and Kraol (spoken in Cambodia). Within a dialect group, members do not understand other dialects. The Mnong language was studied first by the linguist Richard Phillips in the early 1970s.
Lê, et al. (2014:234-235) lists the following subgroups of Mnong and their respective locations.
* Mnông Gar: in northwestern Lâm Đồng Province and southern Lak Lake.
* Mnông Nong: in Đắk Nông District and Đắk Min District
* Mnông Kuênh: in Krông Pắk District
* Mnông Pré: mainly in Đắk Nông District and Đắk Min District, and a few at Lak Lake.
* Mnông Prâng: scattered in Đắk Nông District and Đắk Min District, and a few in southern Lak Lake and in Bản Đon, Ea Súp District.
* Mnông Rlăm: in Lắk District. Many have close relationships with the Ê-đê people.
* Mnông Bu-đâng: in Bản Đon, Ea Súp District
* Mnông Chỉl: in Lắk District. Many have close relationships with the Ê-đê people. Some also live in Lạc Dương District and Đức Trọng District of Lâm Đồng Province.
* Mnông Bu Nor: in Đắk Nông District and Đắk Min District
* Mnông Dih Bri: very small population in Đắk Nông District; Êa Krông.
* Mnông Đíp: Đắk Min District and the northern part of former Sông Bé Province.
* Mnông Biat: small population in former Sông Bé Province. Majority living around the Vietnam-Cambodia border.
* Mnông Bu Đêh: in former Sông Bé Province and Đắk Lắk Province
* Mnông Si Tô: a group of Mạ (Mạ Tô) people in Đắk Nông District who have become assimilated into the Mnông population ("Mnông-ized" Mạ people)
* Mnông K’ah: a group of Ê-đê people scattered across Đắk Nông District, Lắk District, and M'Đrăk District who have become assimilated into the Mnông population ("Mnông-ized" Ê-đê people)
* Mnông Phê Đâm: small population living only in Quảng Tín commune, Đắk Nông District.
Other minor Mnong ethnic groups include the Mnông Rơ Đe, Mnông R’Ông, and Mnông K’Ziêng.
Nguyễn & Trương (2009) cover the following M'Nông dialects.
* M'Nông Preh
* Kuênh
* Mạ
* M'Nông Nâr (Bu Nâr)
* M'Nông Noong (Bu Noong)
* M'Nông R'Lâm
* M'Nông Prâng

## Phonology
### Consonants

| | | Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Glottal |
| Plosive | voiceless | p | t | c | k | ʔ |
| Plosive | aspirated | pʰ | tʰ | cʰ | kʰ | |
| Plosive | prenasal | ᵐp | ⁿt | ᶮc | ᵑk | |
| Plosive | implosive | ɓ | ɗ | (ʄ) | (ɠ) | |
| Nasal | Nasal | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | |
| Fricative | Fricative | | | ç | | h |
| Rhotic | Rhotic | | r | | | |
| Approximant | plain | w | l | j | | |
| Approximant | preglottal | ʔw | | ʔj | | |
* Implosives /ʄ, ɠ/ may vary across dialects.

### Vowels

| | Front | Central | Back |
| Close | i iː | ɨ ɨː | u uː |
| Mid | e eː | ə əː | o oː |
| Open | ɛ ɛː | a aː | ɔ ɔː |

## Numerals

The following comparative numerals from various Mnong dialects are from Nguyễn & Trương (2009).
| Gloss | Preh | Bu Noong | Bu Nâr | Prâng | R'Lăm | Mạ | Kuênh |
| 1 | du, ngoay, hŏ | muay | waay | dul | ju, ƀơn, muei | dul | đu |
| 2 | bar | bar | ra'r | baar | bar | bar | par |
| 3 | pê | pê | per | păi | pei | pê | |
| 4 | puăn | puăn | waam | puô | puan, puôn | puôn | |
| 5 | prăm | prăm | t'rơ̆m, năm | prăm, năm | prăm, pram | jorăm, sơ năm | snăm |
| 6 | prau | | | pro | | |
| 7 | poh | poh | pops | pŏh | poh | poh | pêh |
| 8 | pham | | | pham | | |
| 9 | dŭm, sĭn | sĭn | chĭnh | sin | sư̆n, sĭn | sin | |
| 10 | jât | jât | dư | joơt | măt | jơt | |