Reconstruction:Proto-Ryukyuan/kita

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

Etymology

Cognate to Old Japanese 北 (KITA, “north”), but it is not clear whether this is an early loan from Old/Middle Japanese. See the reconstruction notes for further information.

Pronunciation

Tone class: A?

Noun

*kita

(obsolete) north
Synonym: *nisi (general term)

Reconstruction notes

The general Ryukyuan term for "north" is *nisi, a cognate to Old Japanese 西 (nisi, “west”). However, the Yamatohama dialect has a distinction: nishi means "west; north wind", but kita only means "north".

Just as *minami (“south”, obsolete), Jarosz (2023) argues that it is not likely that loanwords from mainland Japanese should just be limited to remote dialects, and not spread throughout Ryukyuan.

Descendants

Northern Ryukyuan:
- Kunigami: 北 (kita, Uka)
- Northern Amami Ōshima: 北 (kita, Yamatohama, Ongachi, Yuwan)
- Southern Amami Ōshima: 北 (xtā / kita, Shodon / Kushi, Yoro)

References

Jarosz, Alexandra (2023) “Common Kyushu-Ryukyuan substratum in maritime vocabulary: A preliminary analysis”, in The Poznań Society for the Advancement of Arts and Sciences, →DOI, →ISSN, pages 7-46