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

(precipitation) hail
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

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)