Reconstruction:Proto-Japonic/kesa

This Proto-Japonic entry contains reconstructed terms 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-Japonic

Alternative reconstructions

• *kiasa

Etymology

The second mora must have been a contraction of *asa (“morning”). The alternative reconstruction also proposes monopthongization of *ki (“to come”) + *asa (“morning”).

A semantic shift 'a while ago' had also occurred in the Niigata and Nagasaki (/kesu/) dialects of Japanese.

Pronunciation

• Accent class: 2.4a

Noun

*kesa

1. this morning

Descendants

• Old Japanese: 今朝 (ke₁sa)
  • Japanese: 今朝 (kesa)
• Proto-Ryukyuan: *kessa (“a while ago”, tone class C)
  • Northern Ryukyuan:
    • Kikai: ひっさ (hissa)
    • Kunigami: きっさ (khissa /⁠kʰíssà⁠/)
    • Northern Amami Ōshima: けさ (xesa, archaic)
    • Okinawan: きっさ (kissa /⁠kíssà⁠/)
    • Okinoerabu: ひっさ (hissa /⁠çìssâ⁠/)
    • Tokunoshima: ひっさ (hissa /⁠çɪ̀ssâ⁠/), くぃっしゃ (kïssha /⁠kɨ̀ɕɕá⁠/)
    • Yoron: ひっさ (hissa /⁠çíssá⁠/)
  • Southern Ryukyuan:
    • Miyako: きさー (kisā)
    • Yaeyama: くぃさ (kïsa /⁠kɨ̥̀sá⁠/)
    • Yonaguni: きっつぁ (kittsa /⁠kìttsá⁠/, “already”)