Reconstruction:Proto-Japonic/uma

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 1

Possibly derived as a nativized borrowing from Old Chinese 馬 (OC *mraːʔ),^[1] from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *k-m-raŋ ~ s-raŋ (“horse”). See the Proto-Sino-Tibetan entry for more details.

The ma sound denoting "horse" is common to a number of languages of central Asia, where horses were first domesticated, which has led some to speculate about a possible cognate root (but no consensus on any kind of relation exists). Compare Manchu ᠮᠣᡵᡳᠨ (morin, “horse”), Mongolian морь (morʹ, “horse”), Korean 말 (mal, “horse”), Mandarin 馬 / 马 (mǎ, “horse”), Sanskrit मर्य (márya, “stallion; young man”) and Proto-Indo-European *márkos (“horse”) and descendants such as Irish marc (“horse”, archaic) or English mare (“female horse”). More at *márkos.

Alternative reconstructions

*muma (Vovin, 2014)
*uma (Pellard, 2013)
*ma

Noun

*uma

horse

Descendants

Old Japanese: 馬 (ma, uma, muma)
- Japanese: 馬 (ma, uma, muma)
  - → Ainu: ウンマ (umma)
Proto-Ryukyuan: *Cma
- Northern Ryukyuan: 烏馬 (uma) (Liúqiú guăn yìyŭ, 1469-1470)^[2]
  - Kikai: 馬 (ma, uma)
  - Kunigami: 馬 ('mā)
  - Northern Amami Ōshima: 馬 ('mā)
  - Okinawan: 馬 ('nma, 'nmā)
  - Okinoerabu: 馬 (mā)
  - Southern Amami Ōshima: 馬 ('mā)
  - Tokunoshima: 馬 (mā)
  - Yoron: 馬 (uma)
- Southern Ryukyuan: *Vma (Bentley, 2008b)
  - Miyako: 馬 (mma)
  - Yaeyama: 馬 (mma)
  - Yonaguni: 馬 (nma)

Etymology 2

Might originally be an interjection; compare English mmm.

Samuel Martin compares *ama (“sweet”).^[3]

Alternative reconstructions

*ma (Martin, 1987)

Adjective

*uma

good
Antonym: *warə (“bad”)
delicious

Descendants

Old Japanese: 旨, 甘, 味, 美, 巧, 美味, 甘美, 上手 (uma), 旨し, 甘し, 味し, 美し, 巧し, 美味し, 甘美し, 上手し (umasi)
- Middle Japanese: 旨し, 甘し, 味し, 美し, 巧し, 美味し, 甘美し, 上手し (umasi, mumasi)
  - Japanese: 旨い, 甘い, 味い, 美い, 巧い, 美味い, 甘美い, 上手い (umai)
Proto-Ryukyuan: *Mma

References

^ Vovin, Alexander (2014) “Out of Southern China?”, in XXVIIes Journées de Linguistique d'Asie Orientale‎^[1]
^ Lin (2015)
^ Samuel E. Martin (1987) The Japanese Language Through Time, New Haven, London: Yale University Press, →ISBN, page 843

[Vovin2014-1] Vovin, Alexander (2014) “Out of Southern China?”, in XXVIIes Journées de Linguistique d'Asie Orientale‎^[1]

[OO-2] Lin (2015)

[JLTTUma-3] Samuel E. Martin (1987) The Japanese Language Through Time, New Haven, London: Yale University Press, →ISBN, page 843

[1]

[2]

[3]