Reconstruction:Proto-Japonic/ota

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.

The initial *o- is reconstructed on the basis of Eastern Old Japanese おとはふ (otapapu, spelled as 於多波布), a hapax legomenon which Vovin (2020:108-109) identifies as an iterative of うたふ (utapu, “to sing”).

In addition, the Ryūka records the spelling ota (おた), but that evidence is not sufficient enough.

*ota

1. song

• Old Japanese: 歌 (uta)
  • Japanese: 歌 (uta)
• Proto-Ryukyuan: *ota
  • Northern Ryukyuan:
    • Kikai: 歌 (uta)
    • Kunigami: 歌 (futā)
    • Northern Amami Ōshima: 歌 (uθa, oθa)
    • Okinawan: 歌 (uta)
    • Okinoerabu: 歌 (uta, utā)
    • Southern Amami Ōshima: 歌 (uθa)
    • Tokunoshima: 歌 (uta)
    • Yoron: 歌 (uta)
  • Southern Ryukyuan:
    • Yaeyama: 歌 (uta)
    • Yonaguni: 歌 (uta)

• Okinawa Kogo Daijiten Henshū I'inkai (沖縄古語大辞典編集委員会) (1995) 沖縄古語大辞典 [Dictionary of Archaic Okinawan], Tokyo (東京都): Kadokawa Shoten (角川書店), →ISBN, page 98
• Vovin, Alexander. 2020. The Eastern Old Japanese Corpus and Dictionary. Leiden: Brill.