Reconstruction:Proto-Bantu/ìkúpà

This Proto-Bantu 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-Bantu

Etymology

Possible cognates outside of Bantu include Efik *ɔ-kp ́ɔ (“bone”) (from Proto-Lower Cross River *ɔ- ́kpɔ́ (“bone”)), Proto-Grassfields *gÚp (“bone”) and Tiv *kuhe (“bone”)

Noun

*ìkúpà class 5 (plural *màkúpà class 6)

1. bone

Descendants

• Boan:
  • Bhele (D31): nkúà
  • Kaiku (D312): nkúà
  • Kumu (D23): nkúà
  • Bila (D311): kúɔ̀
  • Bera (D32): nkúwà
  • Amba (D22): nkùé
• Nyali:
  • Budu (D332): uho
  • Ndaka (D333): ùwó
• Northeastern Bantu:
  • Northeast Coast Bantu:
    • Swahili (G42): mfupa
  • Takama:
    • Sukuma (F31): iguha
  • Great Lakes Bantu:
    • Rwanda-Rundi (J61/62): igufa, igufwa
    • Tooro (J12): igufa (“bone; tooth of an animal”)
• Bemba (M42): ifupa
• Chichewa (N31): fupa (from older pfupa)
• Ndonga (R22): esipa
• Nzadi (B865): okwa
• Shona (S10): bvupa