Reconstruction:Proto-Mongolic/modun

This Proto-Mongolic entry contains reconstructed words and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Mongolic

Reconstruction

Due to unexplained vowel length in Mongghul, Dagur and East Yugur, some authors posit a primary vowel length (as opposed to secondary lengths from -VxV- sequences) for Proto-Mongolic, however this idea hasn't reached wide acceptance.

Equally perplexing is the retroflex segment found in Bonan and Kangjia.

One possible explaination for the length is analogy with hypothetical unsuffixed *mo, which would be regularly lengthened.

Etymology

Analyzable as *mo +‎ *-dun by internal reconstruction, no doubt related by inheritance or ancient borrowing with Proto-Tungusic *mō, see Evenki мо̄ (mō). Another interesting comparison is Chinese 木 (MC muk̚).

Noun

*modun

tree
wood

Descendants

Middle Mongolian:
- Arabic: مودون‎ (modun) (Muqaddimat)
- Chinese: 莫多 (modu) (Beilu Yiyu), [script needed] (modun), [script needed] (mudun), moči (“carpenter”) (Secret History)
- Phags-Pa: ꡏꡡ ꡊꡟ ꡋꡟ (mo-du-nu, genitive) ꡏꡡꡊ (mod, plural)
- Uyghur: ᠮᠣᠳᠤᠨ (modun), ᠮᠣᠳ (mod, plural)
Mongolian:
- Classical: ᠮᠣᠳᠤ (modu)
- Khalkha: мод (mod)
- Ordos: /mʊdʊ/
Buryat: модо(н) (modo(n))
Khamnigan Mongol: modo(n)
Kalmyk: модн (modn)
Daur: mood
Eastern Yugur: muudin, moodin (Qinglong)
Monguor:
- Mangghuer: motu
- Mongghul: muudi
Bonan:
- Gansu: mutung
- Qinghai: murtun, murton, murtung
Kangjia: mürtün
Dongxiang: mutun
Mogholi: modu