あよ

Okinawan

Etymology

Possibly borrowed from an earlier form of Middle Korean 애〯 (ǎy, “courage”).^[1] Rising pitches in Middle Korean imply an earlier disyllabic form, so the Old Okinawan word could have preserved such form.

Attseted in forms ai (あい), ayu (あゆ), ayo (あよ), and oyo (およ).

Noun

あよ or *あゆ (ayo)

(Old Okinawan, Middle Okinawan) liver
- 1531-1623, Omoro Sōshi
  あんしおそい　／　あよが　うちや　まちよく　あれ　きも　ちよく　まだに　あれ
  anshiosoi / ayoga uchiya machiyoku are kimo chiyoku madani are
  (please add an English translation of this usage example)
- Konkō Kenshū
  あよ　肝の事なり
  Ayo. Liver.

References

^ Vovin, Alexander (2009) “琉球語、上代日本語と周辺の諸言語：再構と接点の諸問題”, in Kokusai Nihon Bunka Kenkyū Sentā‎^[1]

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 45

[1] Vovin, Alexander (2009) “琉球語、上代日本語と周辺の諸言語：再構と接点の諸問題”, in Kokusai Nihon Bunka Kenkyū Sentā‎^[1]

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