Reconstruction:Proto-Japonic/nə

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

Probably an apophonic form of *-na (“genitive marker”).

Particle

*nə

1. genitive case marker

Usage notes

According to Pellard (2023), Proto-Japonic *-nka originally applied only to genitive forms of pronouns. Elsewhere, *nə was used. In Proto-Ryukyuan, due to later animistic influence, it was semantically extended as a nominative case marker (Proto-Japonic simply used the bare noun for the nominative).

However, in Old Japanese, が (ga) was used after nominatives in general, not just pronouns. Morever, when following pronouns or other nominatives indicating persons, が (ga) marked other nominatives that were relatively close to the indicated person, while の (no) was used for nominatives that were more psychologically or emotionally distant.

Descendants

• Old Japanese: の (no₂)
  • Japanese: の (no)
• Proto-Ryukyuan: *no
  • Northern Ryukyuan: 노 (/no/) (Haytong Ceykwukki, 1501)
    • Kikai: ぬ (nu)
    • Kunigami: ぬ (nu)
    • Northern Amami Ōshima: ぬ (nu)
    • Okinawan: ぬ (nu)
    • Okinoerabu: ぬ (nu)
    • Southern Amami Ōshima: ぬ (nu)
    • Tokunoshima: ぬ (nu)
    • Yoron: ぬ (nu)
  • Southern Ryukyuan:
    • Miyako: ぬ (nu)
    • Yaeyama: ぬ (nu)
    • Yonaguni: ぬ (nu)

See also

• *-nka