Far East Semitic/Tonal Semitic

"Hmoabite"

Hlaub hlaub, vi seb qawd ___ = Hello, my name is ___

definite article ðə -> vi

Lexicon

• nqhwb = fish
• yed = to have; there is
• ntam = to give
• vwm = ear
  • ntavwm = to listen
• lau = no, not
• vab = money (ðahab)
  • Qawd lau yed vab = I don't have money

Phonology

• initials and vowels as in White Hmong/Green Mong RPA, but aa ee oo are breathy voiced vowels and r rh nr nrh are /ɹ ɹʰ ɳ ɳʰ/
• Finals: -b -0 -s -j -v -m -g -d /p(unreleased) 0 s j w (nasalization) k(unreleased) t(unreleased)/

Grammar

Pronouns

• 1st person pronouns:
  • qawd (polite, from *3abd 'slave')
  • npws (when speaking to non-intimate peers or someone of lower status)
  • dlag (intimate; from PFES *đV lak 'yours')
  • nau (only used in poetry; from PSem ʔanāku)
• 2nd person pronouns:
  • nkaub (very polite; from *maqāmu 'place')
  • dud (neutrally polite, from *wadud 'friend')
  • dliv (non-intimate, non-polite, from an older polite pronoun *laTip)
  • qhov (intimate, from *Hubb)
  • hmu (rude; from PSem ʔantumū)

Family members use family terms to refer to themselves or to the listener.

Animate plurals marked with ... wj (PFES *wıl)