Reconstruction:Proto-Ryukyuan/sora

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

From Proto-Japonic *sora (“sky”).

Igarashi (2022) considers the meaning of this item to be "treetop" and the modern languages reflect this meaning, stating "[...] pR *sora does not have a meaning ‘sky,’ which is indicated instead by a Chinese loan pR *ten A." The modern forms with the meaning "sky" can probably be reasonably regarded as Japanese loanwords.

Pronunciation

Tone class: C

Noun

*sora

1. tip (said of plants, treetops, etc.)

Descendants

• Northern Ryukyuan:
  • Kikai: 空 (ssura)
  • Kunigami: 空 (surā /⁠súɾàː⁠/)
  • Northern Amami-Oshima: そらふ (sorafu, “whitlow (on top of a finger)”)
  • Okinawan: 空 (sūra /⁠sùːɾà⁠/)
  • Yoron: 空 (sura /⁠súɾá⁠/)
• Southern Ryukyuan:
  • Miyako: 空 (sura)
  • Yaeyama: 空 (sura /⁠súɾá⁠/)
  • Yonaguni: 空 (sura /⁠sùɾâ⁠/)