Reconstruction:Proto-Japonic/pəsi

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.

• *posi

May speculatively be related to Old Korean 星利 (*PYEli), but see the reconstruction notes for issues.

The reconstruction of the first vowel is debated, as there is no o1/o2 distinction after bilabial plosives. If the word is related to *poi (“fire”), then */o/ should be reconstructed. Note that */o/ either gives Japanese /o/ (although seemingly in limited environments) or /u/.

*pəsi

1. star, planet

• Old Japanese: 星 (posi)
  • Japanese: 星 (hoshi)
• Proto-Ryukyuan: *posi
  • Northern Ryukyuan:
    • Kikai: 星 (pushi, fushi)
    • Kunigami: 星 (phushī)
    • Northern Amami Ōshima: 星 (fushi)
    • Okinawan: 星 (fushi)
    • Okinoerabu: 星 (fushi, fushī)
    • Southern Amami Ōshima: 星 (fushi, fush)
    • Tokunoshima: 星 (fusï)
    • Yoron: 星 (pushi)
  • Southern Ryukyuan:
    • Miyako: 星 (pusï)
    • Yaeyama: 星 (pusï)
    • Yonaguni: 星 (fuchi)

May very speculatively be related with Middle Korean ᄇᆞ〮라다〮 (pólàtá), but this is rejected by Vovin (2010) due to irregular sound correspondences.^[1]

Related to Old Japanese 欲る (poru, “to want, to desire”).

*pəsi

1. wanted, desired

• Old Japanese: 欲し (po₂si^[1])
  • Japanese: 欲しい (hoshii)
• Proto-Ryukyuan: *posi
  • Northern Ryukyuan:
    • Kikai: 欲しゃい (fushai), 欲さい (fusai)
    • Kunigami: 欲っしぇん (phusshen), 欲しぇん (-bushen)
    • Northern Amami Ōshima: 欲しゃり (hoshari, -boshari)
    • Okinawan: 欲しゃん (fushan, -bushan), 欲さん (fusan, -busan)
    • Okinoerabu: 欲しゃん (fushan, -bushan)
    • Southern Amami Ōshima: 欲しゃむっ (fusham, -busham)
    • Tokunoshima: 欲さい (fusai)
    • Yoron: 欲しゃん (pushan, -bushan)
  • Southern Ryukyuan:
    • Miyako: 欲す (pusï)
    • Yaeyama: 欲さーん (pusān)
    • Yonaguni: 欲さん (fusan, -busan)