Reconstruction:Proto-Ryukyuan/nao

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This Proto-Ryukyuan 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-Ryukyuan

[edit]

Reconstruction

[edit]

Most Ryukyuan words meaning "what" would either be () or (). However a form exists in Old Ryukyuan nau, and also literary Miyako (nau), suggesting that the forms result from monophthongization.

Etymology

[edit]

From Proto-Japonic *n-anu- (what).

Pronoun

[edit]

*nao[1]

  1. what

Descendants

[edit]
  • Northern Ryukyuan:
    • Kikai: ()
    • Kunigami: ()
    • Northern Amami Ōshima: ()
    • Okinawan: ()
    • Okinoerabu: ()
    • Southern Amami Ōshima: ()
    • Tokunoshima: (nu)
    • Yoron: ()
  • Southern Ryukyuan:
    • Miyako: (nau, nō)
    • Yaeyama: ()
    • Yonaguni: ()

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Alexander Vovin (2010) Koreo-Japonica: A Re-evaluation of a Common Genetic Origin[1], →ISBN, →JSTOR, pages 66-67