Reconstruction:Proto-Ryukyuan/mayO

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

Pronunciation

• Tone class: uncertain

Noun

*mayO

1. cat

Reconstruction notes

This word cannot be reconstructed with full confidence, as the various Ryukyuan dialects show variation between *mayO, *mayOCa, *miya, *miyanka, and *myau. *myau could be some borrowing from Chinese 貓／猫 (māo), or alternatively a metathesis of *mayO.

Descendants

• Northern Ryukyuan: *mayO, *mayOCa, *mya, *myanka, *myau^?
  • Kikai: 猫 (mayā)
  • Kunigami: 猫 (myā, myankā)
  • Northern Amami Ōshima: 猫 (maya)
  • Okinawan: 猫 (mayū, mayā)
  • Okinoerabu: 猫 ('myā)
  • Southern Amami Ōshima: 猫 (mya)
  • >? Tokunoshima: 猫 (nyau)
  • Yoron: 猫 (mayā, myā, myanka)
• Southern Ryukyuan: *mayO, *mayOCa
  • Miyako: 猫 (mayū)
  • Yaeyama: 猫 (maya, myau)
  • Yonaguni: 猫 (mayu)