Reconstructions

Note

PMP had a classic three term (black-white-red) color system, with possible derivative terms for ‘grue’ (green-blue) and ‘yellow’ based on natural substances or maturational characteristics (*mataq ‘raw, unripe; green’, *kunij ‘turmeric; yellow’). *qitem evidently referred to the entire chromatic range covered by the color terms ‘black’, ‘brown’, ‘dark blue’, ‘dark green’ and probably ‘purple’ in English. In PCEMP it further evolved the historically secondary meaning ‘dirty’.

The evidence for *maŋ-qitem presented here falls into two clusters: the reflexes in Kadazan Dusun and Nias, which are essentially causative (and hence require an object) and the rest, which are inchoative (and hence require only a patient). In addition to Tagalog, Bikol, Malay, and Toba Batak, Melanau (Mukah) supports the reconstruction of PWMP *maŋ- with color terms as an inchoative marker, e.g. kuniŋ ‘yellow’, paday ŋaʔ meŋuniŋ ‘the rice is already turning yellow (ripening)’. At the same time meŋ- plus a color term can be used causatively in Melanau (Mukah): (de)lew ien meŋuniŋ kertih ien ‘they are making the paper (kertih) yellow’. It thus appears likely that *maŋ- in combination with color terms had both inchoative and causative functions.