Reconstruction:Proto-Ryukyuan/yoki

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 1

From Proto-Japonic *yoki (“hail, snow”).

As it does not snow in the Ryukyu Islands, most dialects, particularly Okinawan, use this word with the meaning 'hail'.

Noun

*yoki

1. (precipitation) hail
2. snow

Descendants

• Northern Ryukyuan: 유기 (/ju.ki/) (Haytong Ceykwukki, 1501)
  • Kikai: 雪 (yuchi)
  • Kunigami: 雪 (yuchī)
  • Northern Amami Ōshima: 雪 (yuki-, in compounds)
  • Okinawan: 雪 (yuchi)
  • Okinoerabu: 雪 (yuki)
  • Southern Amami Ōshima: 雪 (yuk)
  • Tokunoshima: 雪 (yuki)
• Southern Ryukyuan:
  • Miyako: 雪 (yukɿ)
  • Yonaguni: 雪 (duti)

Etymology 2

Cognate with Japanese 斧 (yoki, “hatchet”, obsolete or dialectal). Presumably from Proto-Japonic, but the word is attested too late to precisely reconstruct a vowel.

The vowel lengthening in some Northern Ryukyuan dialects and the medial -i- in the Yoron Mugiya Higashi-ku dialect suggests an earlier derivation *yo(C)Vki.

Pronunciation

• Tone class: irregular

Noun

*yoki

1. hatchet

Descendants

• Northern Ryukyuan:
  • Amami:
    • Tokunoshima:
      • Asama: ユーキ (jùː⸢kí, tone class C)
      • Kametsu: ユキ (jú⸣kɪ̀, tone class C)
    • Okinoerabu:
      • China: ユーキ (jùː⸢kʰí, tone class A)
      • Wadomari: ユッチ (jùt⸢tɕí, tone class A)
    • Yoron:
      • Mugiya Higashi-ku: ユイキ (/⁠⸢júíkí⁠/, tone class C)
  • Okinawan:
    • Kunigami (Northern Okinawa):
      • Ie: ユチ (/⁠jútɕí⸣⁠/)
      • Nakijin: ユチ (/⁠jú⸣tʑì⁠/, “hammer”, tone class C)
    • Southern Okinawa:
      • Shuri: ユーチ (/⁠⸢júːtɕí⁠/, tone class C)
• Southern Ryukyuan (Sakishima):
  • Miyako:
    • Hirara: ユキゥ (/⁠jukɿ⁠/)
    • Ikema: ユキゥ (/⁠jutsɿ⁠/, tone class B)
    • Irabu:
      • Nakachi: ユチゥ (/⁠jutsɿ⁠/)
    • Tarama-Minna:
      • Minna: ユキ (/⁠juki⁠/, tone class A)
      • Tarama: ユキゥ (/⁠jukɿ⁠/, tone class A)
  • Yaeyama:
    • Nuclear-Yaeyama:
      • Hatoma: ユッキ (/⁠⸢júkkí⁠/, tone class BC)
      • Ishigaki: ユキゥ (/⁠jú⸣kɨ̀⁠/, tone class A)
      • Taketomi: ユキ (/⁠juki⁠/)
    • Yonaguni: ドゥティ (/⁠dùtî⁠/, tone class C)