# Monic languages

The Monic /ˈmoʊnɪk/ languages are a branch of the Austroasiatic language family descended from the Old Monic language of the kingdom of Dvaravati in what is now central Thailand. The Nyahkur people continue directly from that kingdom, whereas the Mon are descendants of those who migrated to Pegu after the 11th century Khmer conquest of Dvaravati.

## Classification

Paul Sidwell (2009:114) proposes the following tree ("stammbaum") for Monic, synthesizing past classifications from Theraphan L-Thongkum (1984) and Gérard Diffloth (1984).
* Old Mon / Proto-Monic
** Nyah Kur
*** North
*** Central
*** South
** Middle Mon
*** Literary Mon
*** Mon Ro: Northernmost dialect, spoken in the Pegu-Paung-Zin Kyaik area
**** West Mon Ro variety: Spoken from north of Martaban to Thaton
**** East Mon Ro variety: Spoken in a small area on the south bank of the Gyaing River
*** Mon Rao: Spoken around Mawlamyine, extending several hundred kilometers south to Tavoy
**** North Mon Rao
**** Kamarwet area Mon
**** South Mon Rao
**** Ye Mon Rao: This is the southernmost Mon variety.
*** Thai Mon (mix of Mon Ro and Mon Rao)

## Proto-language

Selected animal and plant names in Proto-Monic, Proto-Nyah Kur, and Proto-Mon (Diffloth 1984):

### Mammals

    speciesProto-MonicProto-Nyah KurProto-Mon Tupaia sp.*[c/s]naaʔ*ɕhna̱aʔ Panthera tigris corbetti*klaaʔ*khla̱aʔ*kla̱ʔ Lutrogale perspicillata, Lutra lutra nair*phɛɛʔ*phɛ̱ɛʔ*phɛ̱ʔ Bos gaurus readei*kndiiŋ*kənti̤iɲ*kəlɤ̱i̯ɲ Rusa unicolor equinus*tɓuŋ*thbu̱ŋ*ɓɒ̱ɨ̯ŋ Rucervus eldii thamin, Cervus eldi siamensis*[r]maŋ*ləma̤ŋ*mɛ̤a̯ŋ Muntiacus muntjak vaginalis, Muntiacus feae*pas*pa̱j̊*pɔ̱h Hystrix hodgsoni*lmliəŋ*ləmli̤aŋ*pəli̤ə̯ŋ Ursus thibetanus*kmu̱m*khmu̱m*[k]hmi̱m

### Birds

    speciesProto-MonicProto-Nyah KurProto-Mon Corvus splendens*klʔaak*kəlʔa̱ak*həɗa̱i̯c Caprimulgus macrurus*klwaaʔ*kəwa̱aʔ*kəwa̱ʔ Caprimulgus macrurus?*ʔ[m]blak*bla̱k*ʔəplɛ̤a̯k Spizaetus sp.*liŋ-liəŋ*liŋ-li̤aŋ*kəni̤ə̯ŋ Gallus gallus*tjaaŋ*chja̱aŋ*ca̱i̯ɲ Psittacula eupatria avensis, Psittacula finschii?*kreeɲ*krə̱əɲ*krʌ̱i̯ɲ Coturnix sp.*cgɯt*cəkɯ̤t*hək[i̤/ɯ̤]t Pseudogyps bengalensis?*t-[m]-maat*tə(m)ma̱at*[k]əma̱t Oriolus chinensis?*mit*mɯ̤t*mi̤t Treron phoenicopterus viridifrons*prgum*pərkṳm*həkə̤m Eudynamis scolopacea malayana*twa(a)w*twa̱w*kəwa̱o̯ Streptopelia orientalis*puur*pu̱ur*pɒ̱u̯

### Other animals

    speciesProto-MonicProto-Nyah KurProto-Mon Periplaneta sp.*sdɛɛʔ*ɕətɛ̤ɛʔ*həte̤ʔ Apis dorsata*saaj*ɕa̱aj*sa̱i̯ Trionyx cartilageneus*dwiiʔ*[c/t]həwi̤iʔ*kwi̤ʔ Fluta alba*doŋ-nooŋ*kənto̤oŋ ~ *tṳŋ-to̤oŋ*hələ̤ɨ̯ŋ Ophiocephalus striatus*knlɔɔn*kənlu̱an*kəno̤n Varanus nebulosus*trkɔɔt*təku̱at*həko̱t

### Plants

    speciesProto-MonicProto-Nyah KurProto-Mon Bambusa arundinacea*ɟrlaaʔ*chəla̤aʔ*həlɛ̤ə̯ʔ Antiaris toxicaria*kɟiiʔ*kəci̤iʔ*kji̤ʔ Imperata cylindrica*cwooʔ*chwo̱oʔ*khwɒ̱ɨ̯ʔ Entada rheedii, Entada scandens*ɟnlɛɛʔ*khənlɛ̤ɛʔ*həne̤ʔ Eugenia cumini*kriəŋ*kri̱aŋ*kri̱ə̯ŋ Dipterocarpus alatus, Dipterocarpus turbinatus*gjaaŋ*khəja̤aŋ*həja̤i̯ɲ Pentace burmanica*sit-siət*ɕit-ɕi̱at*kəsə̱t Berrya mollis*klwaan*kəlwa̱an*kəlwa̱an Spondias mangifera*[k]ʔiil*[kh]əʔi̱il*ʔi̱ Ficus bengalensis, Ficus religiosa*ɟrəj*chrə̤j*sɔ̤e̯ Phyllanthus emblica*trluuj*təlu̱uj*kəlu̱i̯

## Lexical innovations

Selected Monic lexical innovations:
| Gloss | Proto-Austroasiatic | Proto-Monic | Old Mon | Nyah Kur |
| ‘knee’ | *psaɲ | *ɟroːm | – | chròːm |
| ‘money’ | *swaːʔ | *knuːj | knuj | khǝnúːj |
| ‘chicken’ | *ʔiər | *tjaːŋ | tyaiŋ | cháːŋ |
| ‘dog’ | *cɔːʔ | *clur | kløw | chúr |