Reconstruction:Proto-Yoruboid/V́-cĩcĩ

This Proto-Yoruboid 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-Yoruboid

Alternative forms

*á-cĩcĩ, *é-cĩcĩ, *í-cĩcĩ

Etymology

Widespread throughout Volta-Niger and Volta-Congo. Because the vowel prefix differs even among dialects of Yoruba (as well as cognate languages), it is difficult to exactly pinpoint what the specific vowel form was in Proto-Yoruboid, as the vowel prefixes are often allophonic or change quickly across generations. See descendants for more explanation.

Cognate with Ayere inʃi, Ebira ìsì, Arigidi íncí, Igbo ijiji, Ogbia ejiji, see Khana sĩ, Ibibio nsʌn Proto-Lower Cross River *ú-sùŋ, Yekhee oshishi (“ant”), maybe Urhobo erhirhi (“ant”) and Idoma iju. Also see Ahwai ànʃíʃin, Proto-Plateau *-tiiŋ Proto-Plateau *-ci(n)ciŋ, Proto-Benue-Congo *-cĩ, Sotho ntsintsi. The similarity of the Sotho form may also suggest that this term may be related to the word tsetse, a which comes from Tswana (a Bantu language), Tswana tsêtsê, also see Nyanga (Congo) nchenche.

Noun

*V́-cĩcĩ

housefly

Related terms

*ú-lù (“tse-tse fly”)

Descendants

Ifè: etsĩtsĩ
Igala: áchichi
Olukumi: esinsin
Yoruba: eṣinṣin
Yoruba: eeṣin
Ekiti Yoruba: iṣiṣi, eṣiṣi
Onko Yoruba: echichi
Owe Yoruba: esisi