Reconstruction:Proto-Japonic/uma

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

Etymology 1

Possibly derived as a nativized borrowing from Old Chinese 馬 (OC *mraːʔ), from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *k-m-raŋ ~ s-raŋ (“horse”). See the Proto-Sino-Tibetan entry for more details.

The ma sound denoting "horse" is common to a number of languages of central Asia, where horses were first domesticated, which has led some to speculate about a possible cognate root (but no consensus on any kind of relation exists). Compare Manchu ᠮᠣᡵᡳᠨ (morin, “horse”), Mongolian морь (morʹ, “horse”), Korean 말 (mal, “horse”), Mandarin 馬／马 (mǎ, “horse”), Sanskrit मर्य (márya, “stallion; young man”) and Proto-Indo-European *márkos (“horse”) and descendants such as Irish marc (“horse”, archaic) or English mare (“female horse”). More at *márkos.

Alternative reconstructions

• *muma (Vovin, 2014)
• *uma (Pellard, 2013)
• *ma

Noun

*uma

2. horse

Descendants

• Old Japanese: 馬 (ma, uma, muma)
  • Japanese: 馬 (ma, uma, muma)
    • → Ainu: ウンマ (umma)
• Peninsular Japonic: *ma
  • Puyǒ:
    • Baekje: マ (*ma)
    • Goguryeo: *馬 (*ma)
  • Han:
    • Old Korean: 馬 (*MAL)
      • Middle Korean: ᄆᆞᆯ (mol)
        • Korean: 말 (mal)
• Proto-Ryukyuan: *Cma
  • Northern Ryukyuan: 烏馬 (uma) (Liúqiú guăn yìyŭ, 1469-1470)
    • Kikai: 馬 (ma, uma)
    • Kunigami: 馬 ('mā)
    • Northern Amami-Oshima: 馬 ('mā)
    • Okinawan: 馬 ('nma, 'nmā)
    • Oki-No-Erabu: 馬 (mā)
    • Southern Amami-Oshima: 馬 ('mā)
    • Toku-No-Shima: 馬 (mā)
    • Yoron: 馬 (uma)
  • Southern Ryukyuan: *Vma (Bentley, 2008b)
    • Miyako: 馬 (mma)
    • Yaeyama: 馬 (mma)
    • Yonaguni: 馬 (nma)

Etymology 2

Might originally be an interjection; compare English mmm.

Samuel Martin compares *ama (“sweet”).

Alternative reconstructions

• *ma (Martin, 1987)

Adjective

*uma

1. good

   Antonym: *warə (“bad”)

2. delicious

Descendants

• Old Japanese: 旨, 甘, 味, 美, 巧, 美味, 甘美, 上手 (uma), 旨し, 甘し, 味し, 美し, 巧し, 美味し, 甘美し, 上手し (umasi)
  • Middle Japanese: 旨し, 甘し, 味し, 美し, 巧し, 美味し, 甘美し, 上手し (umasi, mumasi)
    • Japanese: 旨い, 甘い, 味い, 美い, 巧い, 美味い, 甘美い, 上手い (umai)
• Proto-Ryukyuan: *Mma

References