The morphology and semantics of presyllables in Hmong-Mien languages

Abstract

The first components of sesquisyllabic and disyllabic words in languages of the Hmong-Mien family include forms which are believed by native speakers to be derived from phonologically fuller forms (characteristic of languages of the Mienic branch of the family) and forms which have lexical or grammatical significance (characteristic of languages of the Hmongic branch). Grammatical and phonological factors, not fully understood, determine when the first component of a sesquisyllabic word can be omitted, but the biggest challenge is to describe the meanings of lexical presyllables in Hmongic languages, which may require a consideration of both lexical semantics and ethno-semantics.