んば

Japanese

Etymology

Shift from は (ha). First attested in 平家物語 (Heike Monogatari, “The Tale of the Heike”) of the early 1200s.

/-ba/ → /-mba/

The は (ha) was probably originally the topic particle, also used in contrastive emphasis to indicate a conditional in certain constructions. Compare modern なくては (nakute wa). The nasal likely appeared due to the voicing of the negative auxiliary ず (zu) that often preceded the particle in this usage. Over time, this then became conflated with the regular conditional verb suffix ば (ba).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mba̠]

Particle

んば • (-nba) 

1. (archaic) Alternative form of ば (-ba, “if”)

   虎(こ)穴(けつ)に入(い)らずんば虎(こ)子(じ)を得(え)ず

   koketsu ni irazunba koji o ezu

   You cannot catch a tiger cub without entering a tiger's lair → nothing ventured, nothing gained

   信(しん)用(よう)なくんば尊(そん)敬(けい)されない[1]

   shin'yō nakunba sonkei sarenai

   You cannot be respected without reputation.

Usage notes

This form attaches to adjective ～く (-ku) forms or the auxiliary ず (-zu). It corresponds to the archaic 未然形 (mizenkei, “irrealis stem”) + ば (-ba) form of verbs.

Yonaguni

Etymology

From Proto-Ryukyuan *suba, from Proto-Japonic *sunpa.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mbà]

Noun

んば (nba) 

1. lip

   にぐらきてぃんばつーみどぅぶる

   nigura kiti nba tsūmi duburu

   I got scared and my lips turned white.

   んばっくりるたうったり

   nba kkuriruta uttari

   (please add an English translation of this example)