# Proto-Aslian language

Proto-Aslian is the reconstructed proto-language of the Aslian languages of Peninsular Malaysia and southern Thailand. It has been reconstructed by Timothy Phillips (2012).

## Reconstructed forms

The 289 reconstructed Proto-Aslian forms below are from Phillips (2012:259-262).
* *[bə]teew 'water, river'
* *[ca(n)]bɨŋ 'spider'
* *[d/g]arɯɯɲ 'termite'
* *[gə]liik 'to swallow'
* *[gə]rɛɛs 'liver'
* *[ɟa]lɯɯʔ 'pig'
* *[kə]soom 'nest'
* *[lə]bit 'to close (eyes)'
* *[m/n]uay 'one'
* *[pə]tam 'to plant'
* *[s/h]uəc 'to whistle'
* *[s]paay 'new'
* *[sa]tam 'right (side)'
* *[tam]pɯɯs 'to sweep'
* *[ʔa]tiɛʔ 'earth'
* *[ʔən]cɛɛn 'cooked'
* *{(–)l–} '(iterative)'
* *{(-)m-} '(nominalizer agentive)'
* *{(-)n-} '(nominalizer)'
* *{pər-} '(causative)'
* *{–ra–} '(plural/comparative)'
* *baay 'to dig'
* *bakaʔ 'descendant'
* *baliiŋ 'sky'
* *baʔ 'to carry on back'
* *bəhɔ(ɔ)l 'deer'
* *bəhiiʔ 'sated (of food)'
* *bək 'to tie'
* *bəkaaw 'flower'
* *bəkah 'to break'
* *bəlaaw 'blowgun'
* *bəliiŋ 'arm'
* *bəlooʔ 'thigh'
* *bənɨ(ɨ)m 'mountain'
* *bərɔl 'dart butt'
* *bəriʔ 'forest'
* *bətees 'mushroom'
* *bəy[oo]k 'white'
* *bəʔaak 'flood'
* *bəʔet 'good'
* *bɨt 'hot'
* *bɯɯl 'drunk'
* *bɯɯʔ 'to suck'
* *boh 'to put/place'
* *bus 'cane'
* *buyaaʔ 'alligator'
* *ca(a)l 'to say'
* *caaʔ 'to eat'
* *cah 'cah'
* *cap 'to catch'
* *cɔk 'to stab'
* *cɛ(ɛ)s 'to tear'
* *cɛ(ɛ)ʔ 'louse'
* *cə(n)ruas 'fingernail'
* *cədaaw 'rainbow'
* *cədək 'to hiccup'
* *cɛɛm 'bird'
* *cɛɛn 'to cook'
* *cəgɛh 'hard'
* *cəkʔiɛk 'gecko'
* *cəloon 'back'
* *cəma(a)ʔ 'sharp'
* *cəntɯɯgŋ 'drum'
* *cəŋcɛ̃ɛ̃ŋ 'eyebrow'
* *cərəs 'rib'
* *cəruuʔ 'winnow basket'
* *ciip 'to walk'
* *cɨl 'tattoo'
* *coom 'to burn'
* *cuam 'to dig'
* *cuəh 'to defecate'
* *cuəʔ 'dog'
* *daŋ 'to see'
* *dɔŋ 't.o. monkey'
* *deh 'they (3P)'
* *dəka(a)n 'bamboo rat'
* *dəlũũʔ 'to push'
* *dɯɯŋ 'house'
* *duuy 'afternoon'
* *gaal 'waist'
* *gaɲ 'to bite'
* *gɔl 'to carry on back'
* *gəcɛɛʔ 'moon'
* *gəhɛɛt 'sweet'
* *gəlisɛɛh 'to whisper'
* *gəluk 'to laugh'
* *gəriɛŋ 'monitor lizard'
* *gətɔh 'to spit'
* *gɨn 'they (3P)'
* *gɯɯm 'to winnow'
* *gulam 'to carry on shoulder'
* *guul 'mortar'
* *hã(ã)n 'where'
* *haar 'we two (1D.IN)'
* *halap 'to raft'
* *hawa(a)r 'mucus'
* *heeʔ 'you (2S)'
* *hə̃m 'to breathe'
* *hiiʔ 'we (1P.IN)'
* *hiŋkaaʔ 'to play'
* *ɟaam / *ʔiɟaam 'to cry'
* *ɟak 'to step on'
* *ɟaŋka(a)ʔ 'chin/jaw'
* *ɟarlaaʔ 'thorn'
* *ɟɔ̃ɔ̃t 'to suck'
* *ɟeeʔ 'we (1P.EX)'
* *ɟəhuuʔ 'tree'
* *ɟəl 'to bark'
* *ɟəʔaaŋ 'bone'
* *ɟɨk 'to breathe'
* *ɟɯɯk 'to move'
* *ɟuŋ 'foot/leg'
* *k[a]niɛʔ 'mouse'
* *k[a]ʔiɛp 'centipede'
* *kaac 'to scratch'
* *kaaʔ 'fish'
* *kamiɛk 'to carry under arm'
* *kaɲɔŋ 'elbow'
* *kanɛ(ɛ)t 'small'
* *kap 'to bite'
* *karɛɛy 'thunder'
* *karəŋ 'tree trunk'
* *kawããp 'bear'
* *kayoot 'pregnant'
* *kɔɔɲ 'male'
* *ke 'he/she (3S)'
* *ke(e)ŋ 'to pull'
* *kə(n)siir 'husband'
* *kəbəc 'to fish'
* *kəbɛɛc 'to spit'
* *kəbɨɨʔ 'fruit'
* *kəbɨs 'to die'
* *kəboʔ 'mosquito'
* *kədɛk 'bitter'
* *kɛɛʔ 'to seek'
* *kəhuəy 'to gape'
* *kəl 'to fall'
* *kəlaaŋ 'eagle'
* *kəlapuəh 'shoulder'
* *kəlɨɨt 'firefly'
* *kəluəŋ 'inside'
* *kəm 'to obtain'
* *kəmbaar 'twin'
* *kəmeet 'mosquito'
* *kəmooc 'ghost'
* *kəmuar 'worm, caterpillar'
* *kəmuən 'nephew'
* *kəɲaaŋ 'quick'
* *kəndah 'wife'
* *kəpiil 'turtle'
* *kərɔʔ 'back'
* *kərɟɛr 'to dance'
* *kəroom 'under'
* *kərual 'knee'
* *kəteŋ 'calf (leg)'
* *kətɯɯʔ 'skin, bark'
* *kəyɔŋ 'to hear'
* *kiɛt 'anus'
* *kipaaŋ 'top'
* *kɯɯʔ 'to vomit'
* *kooɲ 'male'
* *krkbaak 'butterfly'
* *kuəm 'to hold, grasp'
* *kuən 'child'
* *kuuy 'head'
* *lakuəm 'brain'
* *las 'ant'
* *lɛc 'wrong/miss'
* *ləda(a)ʔ 'armpit'
* *leew 'bamboo'
* *ləhiɛŋ 'saliva'
* *lək 'quiver'
* *ləmooɲ 'tooth'
* *ləɲsiɲ 'gums'
* *ləntaak 'tongue'
* *ləŋɛ(ɛ)ʔ 'neck'
* *ləsəm 'rain'
* *ləwɛɛy 'bee'
* *liɛp 'to plait (leaves)'
* *m(??)h 'you (2S)'
* *mahaam 'blood'
* *man 'to play'
* *mat 'eye'
* *mɔɔh 'nose'
* *məriɛm 'how many?'
* *miɛŋ 'cheek'
* *mro(o)ɲ 'louse'
* *muuh 'to bathe'
* *napak 'boar'
* *nɔɔm 'to urinate'
* *nɛŋ 'before'
* *niis 'mat'
* *nooŋ 'road'
* *ɲooʔ 'to suck'
* *padaw 'bee'
* *pak 'to chop'
* *paraaʔ 'shelf'
* *pareeʔ 'monitor lizard'
* *pəhɨɨm 'to break wind'
* *pəlɛ(ɛ)ʔ 'astonished'
* *pəleek 'bat'
* *pəlɛɛʔ 'fruit'
* *pələm 'leech'
* *pəluaŋ 'roof'
* *pənlɯɯŋ 'egg'
* *pərəc 'wing'
* *pəʔaas 'turtle'
* *pɨɨt 'to extinguish'
* *pɨt 'to blow'
* *puk 'chicken'
* *rəmpiɛt 'to thresh'
* *rəwaay 'soul'
* *riɛt 'to wring'
* *rudɔŋ 'friend'
* *ruəp 'friend'
* *ruəy 'fly'
* *ruuy 'to sow'
* *rʔiɛs / ʔriɛs 'root'
* *sa(a)r 'to descend'
* *sɔɔk 'hair, feather'
* *sɛ(ɛ)ɲ 'end'
* *sə[n]taaʔ 'tail'
* *sɛc 'flesh'
* *sɛɛh 'to pound'
* *sɛɛl 'shy'
* *səgu(u)ʔ 'to ask, request'
* *səlaay 'field'
* *səlaaʔ 'leaf'
* *səlɨʔdeʔ 'cockroach'
* *səluuh 'to blowpipe'
* *səmaaɲ 'to ask'
* *səmaaʔ 'human being'
* *səŋɛc 'cold'
* *səŋəp 'darkness'
* *siɛc 'to steal'
* *siɛm 'to forget'
* *sisɛʔ 'to dance'
* *siyãʔ 'house'
* *sɯɯc 'to sting'
* *suək 'navel'
* *suəm 'marrow'
* *suuc 'to wash'
* *suup 'lung'
* *taaɲ 'to plait, weave'
* *tabooʔ 'thumb'
* *taɟaak 'to carry in hand'
* *taɟuuʔ 'snake'
* *talun 'python'
* *tawɔɔh 't.o. gibbon'
* *tawiiŋ 'spider'
* *tɔɔt 'to burn'
* *təbiŋ 'full'
* *təhop 'turtle'
* *təhuəl 'to blow'
* *təkɔɔʔ 'pus'
* *təmɔʔ 'stone'
* *təmkal 'male'
* *təniit 'lip'
* *təŋ(k)əm 'molar'
* *tiɛk 'to sleep'
* *tiɛl 'footprint'
* *tiil 'to dry'
* *tool 'to carry on head'
* *tuəs 'to pull out'
* *wɔɔk 'to wake up'
* *we(e)n 'to throw out'
* *weeh 'they two (3D)'
* *weel 'again'
* *wɛ̃ɛ̃n 'to squeeze'
* *wiɛl 'left (side)'
* *yɛɛʔ 'I (1S)'
* *ʔaap 'tiger'
* *ʔaat 'stick/spear'
* *ʔas 'to swell'
* *ʔawak 'ladle'
* *ʔɔ̃ɔ̃ɲ 'to smell'
* *ʔɔɔs 'fire'
* *ʔə[k]ʔaak 'crow'
* *ʔɛc 'belly, excrement'
* *ʔəmpuaʔ 'to dream'
* *ʔəndɯɯm 'ripe'
* *ʔəɲiiʔ 'before'
* *ʔəntaŋ 'ear'
* *ʔəntap 'testicle'
* *ʔiiɲ 'I (1S)'
* *ʔoo[k/ŋ] 'wasp'
* *ʔoor 'to command'
* *ʔuək 'to give'
* *ʔuuy 'to do'

## Lexical innovations

Selected Aslian lexical innovations as identified by Paul Sidwell (2021):
| Gloss | Proto-Aslian | Kensiu | Jahai | Semnam | Semelai |
| ‘bitter’ | *kədɛk | kadek | kadɛk | kdɛk | kədɛc |
| ‘marrow’ | *suəm | – | suwəp | lasuoːm | smsɔm |
| ‘bear’ | *kawãːp | kawap | kawip | kaweːp | – |
| ‘sweet’ | *gəhɛːt | gəhɛt | bhɛt | bhɛt | gɛhɛt (Temoq) |

## Phonological correspondences

Proto-Aslian appears to have some phonological rime correspondences with Nancowry, suggesting that there could be a Southern Austroasiatic branch or linkage that includes Aslian and Nicobaric. Gérard Diffloth (2008) presents the following comparisons (as quoted in Sidwell 2021).
| Gloss | Proto-Aslian | Nancowry |
| ‘house-fly’ | *ruəj | juəj |
| ‘wasp’ | *gr-tuəʔ | tũəʔ |
| ‘child’ | *kuən | kuən |
| ‘to scratch’ | *kuɔc | koac |
| ‘dream’ | *-mpuɔʔ | ʔinfoaʔ |
| ‘fingernail’ | *c-(n)r-uɔs | kisoah |
| ‘four’ | *puɔn | foan |