Reconstruction:Proto-Ryukyuan/wa

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

Reconstruction

According to Thorpe (1983), the daughter languages show variation in the use of this pronoun. Almost all daughter languages generalized this plural as a singular (like in Japanese) except for Yonaguni, which retains the original distinction.

The different descendant forms are likely the product of fusion with various suffixing elements, while the original word is now used as either a nominative or a genitive.

Etymology

From Proto-Japonic *wa (“we”, first-person plural).

Pronoun

*wa

we

Derived terms

Proto-Ryukyuan: *wanu
- Northern Ryukyuan:
  - Kikai: 我ん (wan)
  - Kunigami: 我ん (wan), 我ぬー (wanū)
  - Northern Amami-Oshima: 我ん (wan)
  - Okinawan: 我ん (wan)
  - Oki-No-Erabu: 我ぬ (wanu)
  - Southern Amami-Oshima: 我ん (wan)
  - Toku-No-Shima: 我ん (wan)
  - Yoron: 我ぬ (wanu)
- Southern Ryukyuan:
  - Miyako: 我ん (ban)
  - Yaeyama: 我ぬ (banu)
  - Yonaguni: 我ぬ (banu)
Proto-Ryukyuan: *wakeya
- Northern Ryukyuan:
  - Kikai: 我きゃ (wakya)
  - Northern Amami-Oshima: 我きゃ (wakya)
  - Oki-No-Erabu: 我きゃ (wakya), 我ちゃ (wacha)
  - Southern Amami-Oshima: 我きゃ (wakya)
  - Toku-No-Shima: 我っきゃ (wakkya)
  - Yoron: 我ちゃ (wacha)
*waCta
- Northern Ryukyuan:
  - Kunigami: 我ったー (wattā)
  - Okinawan: 我ったー (wattā)
- Southern Ryukyuan:
  - Yonaguni: 我んた (banta)
Proto-Ryukyuan: *waya
- Southern Ryukyuan:
  - Miyako:
    Tarama: べー (bē)
  - Yaeyama:
    Aragusuku: ぴゃー (pyā)
    
    Hateruma: ばい (bai), べー (bē)
    
    Hatoma: べー (bē)
    
    Kuroshima: べー (bē)

Descendants

Northern Ryukyuan:
- Kikai: 我 (wā)
- Kunigami: 我 (wā)
- Northern Amami-Oshima: 我 (wā)
- Okinawan: 我 (wā)
- Oki-No-Erabu: 我 (wā)
- Southern Amami-Oshima: 我 (wā)
- Toku-No-Shima: 我 (wā)
- Yoron: 我 (wā)
Southern Ryukyuan:
- Miyako: 我 (bā)
- Yaeyama: 我 (bā)
- Yonaguni: 我 (bā)

References

Thorpe, Maner Lawton (1983) Ryūkyūan Language History‎, Doctoral dissertation. University of Southern California, pages 219, 299

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