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

1. (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