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.

Possibly derived as a nativized borrowing from Old Chinese 馬 (OC *mraːʔ),^[1] 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.

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

*uma

2. horse

• Old Japanese: 馬 (ma, uma, muma)
  • Japanese: 馬 (ma, uma, muma)
    • → Ainu: ウンマ (umma)
• Proto-Ryukyuan: *Cma
  • Northern Ryukyuan: 烏馬 (uma) (Liúqiú guăn yìyŭ, 1469-1470)^[2]
    • Kikai: 馬 (ma, uma)
    • Kunigami: 馬 ('mā)
    • Northern Amami Ōshima: 馬 ('mā)
    • Okinawan: 馬 ('nma, 'nmā)
    • Okinoerabu: 馬 (mā)
    • Southern Amami Ōshima: 馬 ('mā)
    • Tokunoshima: 馬 (mā)
    • Yoron: 馬 (uma)
  • Southern Ryukyuan: *Vma (Bentley, 2008b)
    • Miyako: 馬 (mma)
    • Yaeyama: 馬 (mma)
    • Yonaguni: 馬 (nma)

Might originally be an interjection; compare English mmm.

Samuel Martin compares *ama (“sweet”).^[3]

• *ma (Martin, 1987)

*uma

1. good

   Antonym: *warə (“bad”)

2. delicious

• 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