Reconstruction:Proto-Japonic/takara

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

Martin reconstructs this as a compound of *taka (“high”) +‎ *-ra (pluralizing suffix).^[1] However, this is semantically problematic, as such would ordinarily refer to “the heights” as a location, and there is no clear means of deriving the sense of “treasure” from the proposed component parts.

Noun

*takara

treasure

Descendants

Old Japanese: 寶 (takara)
- Japanese: 宝 (takara)
Proto-Ryukyuan: *takara
- Northern Ryukyuan:
  - Kikai: 宝 (takara)
  - Kunigami: 宝 (thakāra)
  - Northern Amami Ōshima: 宝 (θaxara)
  - Okinawan: 宝 (takara)
  - Okinoerabu: 宝 (takara)
  - Southern Amami Ōshima: 宝 (θakāra)
  - Tokunoshima: 宝 (takarā)
  - Yoron: 宝 (takara)
- Southern Ryukyuan:
  - Miyako: 宝 (takara)
  - Yaeyama: 宝 (takara)
  - Yonaguni: 宝 (tagara)

References

^ Samuel E. Martin (1987) The Japanese Language Through Time, New Haven, London: Yale University Press, →ISBN

[1] Samuel E. Martin (1987) The Japanese Language Through Time, New Haven, London: Yale University Press, →ISBN

[1]