Reconstruction:Proto-Japonic/paimpi

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

Alternative reconstructions

• *papimi (JLTT 404)

Reconstruction

The reconstruction is controversial, due to the irregular correspondences between Japanese and Ryukyuan. JLTT 404 reconstructs *papimi and hypothesizes lenition and loss of medial *p (*papimi > *paymi > pemi) in Japanese, but this does not account for the Ryukyuan form, which can only be from a medial *u that became word-final from the metathesis of the nasal and either loss or metathesis of the original final vowel (*papumi > *pa(i)pum > *panpu, *penpu > *pabu, *pebu). On the surface, this might possibly underlie the same process leading to putative Korean cognate 뱀 (baem), but that term's Middle Korean ancestor forms of ᄇᆞ〮얌 (pò.yám) and ᄇᆡ얌 (poyyam) may make cognacy less likely on phonological grounds.

Etymology

Possibly cognate with Korean 뱀 (baem, “snake”).

Noun

*paimpi

1. snake

Descendants

• Old Japanese: 蛇 (pe₂mi₁)
  • Japanese: 蛇 (hebi, hemi)
• Proto-Ryukyuan: *pabu
  • Northern Ryukyuan:
    • Kikai: 蛇 (pīpā) (< *pebuwa)
    • Kunigami: 蛇 (phabū)
    • Northern Amami Ōshima: 蛇 (habu)
    • Okinawan: 蛇 (habu, fību, fībā) (< *pabu, *pebu, *pebuwa)
      • → Japanese: 波布 (habu)
    • Okinoerabu: 蛇 (hibu, hibū) (< *pebu)
    • Southern Amami Ōshima: 蛇 (hap)
  • Southern Ryukyuan:
    • Miyako: 蛇 (pav)
    • Yaeyama: 蛇 (pabu)
    • Yonaguni: 蛇 (hinpa) (< *pebuCa)