Reconstruction:Proto-Japonic/su

Noun

 * 1) nest

Etymology 2
Perhaps a native Japanese term, with the su reading somehow related to the way that very sour things cause one to pucker.

Alternatively, may be a prehistoric borrowing from, borrowed earlier than the systematic introduction of kanji (vinegar was historically introduced to Japan in the 300-400s from China), and then later mistaken as a native Japanese term. Compare modern 🇨🇬 or 🇨🇬.

Noun

 * 1) vinegar

Descendants

 * Northern Ryukyuan:
 * Southern Ryukyuan:
 * Northern Ryukyuan:
 * Southern Ryukyuan:
 * Southern Ryukyuan:
 * Southern Ryukyuan:
 * Southern Ryukyuan:
 * Southern Ryukyuan:
 * Southern Ryukyuan:
 * Southern Ryukyuan:

Reconstruction
Deriving this verb from a stem *səy- has been proposed on the basis of an imperative *sə and the Japanese stem forms in se-, except that this contradicts the normal development of the diphthong -əy in Japanese, which should develop into instead of.

In Japanese, the se- forms are mostly regular for the pattern, raising the possibility that the above irregular phonetic development may instead be a regular conjugational shift.

Verb

 * 1) to become, happen, occur
 * 2) to do