Reconstruction:Proto-Japonic/mena

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

A surface analysis suggests that this might be a compound of ⟨*me⟩ ("water, river", as in *mentu, "water", Old Japanese 水 ⟨mi₁du⟩, "water") + ⟨*na⟩ (a general side dish usually of fish, meat, or vegetables, cognate with Japanese 魚, 肴 ⟨sakana⟩, "fish", from "sake dish").

Reconstruction

In the event that this derives from ⟨*me⟩, this is reconstructed as ⟨*mena⟩ instead of ⟨*mina⟩. Furthermore, ⟨*me⟩ leads to ⟨mi₁⟩ in Old Japanese.

Noun

*mena

freshwater snail, Semisulcospira libertina

Descendants

Old Japanese: 蜷 (mi₁na)
- Japanese: 蜷 (mina)
- Japanese: 蜷, 螺 (nina)
  - Japanese: 川蜷, カワニナ (kawanina)
Proto-Ryukyuan: *mena
- Northern Ryukyuan:
  - Kikai: 田蜷 (θanmyā) (< *tamina)
  - Kunigami: 田蜷 (thannā) (< *tamina)
  - Northern Amami-Oshima: 蜷 (mya), 田蜷 (θanmya) (< *mina, *tamina)
  - Okinawan: 田蜷 (tānna), 白蜷 (shirunna) (< *tamina, *shiromina)
  - Southern Amami-Oshima: 蜷 (minya), 田蜷 (θanmya) (< *mina, *tamena)
  - Toku-No-Shima: 蜷 (myā), 曲がり蜷 (magarinnya) (< *mina, *magarimina)
- Southern Ryukyuan:
  - Miyako: 蜷 (mna)
  - Yaeyama: 蜷 (nna)