Reconstruction:Proto-Uto-Aztecan/ayaC

This Proto-Uto-Aztecan 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-Uto-Aztecan

Alternative forms

*ayoC

Etymology

Possibly related to *ayaw (“squash, gourd”). The semantic shift from ‘turtle’ to ‘rattle’ reflects the traditional usage of turtle or gourd shells as rattles in various descendant languages.

Noun

*ayaC (Stubbs 2011)

tortoise, turtle
Synonyms: *komikt(ʼ)ïl, *kopota, *muLi, *(t)uLu, *yuʼa
rattle (instrument)

Reconstruction notes

Stubbs (2011) reconstructs a final consonant *C from forms such as Colorado River Ute 'ayapʉ- (-p-) and Luiseño páa'ayat (-t-), suggesting a lost final consonant in Proto-Uto-Aztecan. Its exact value remains unclear, possibly a stop or glide. Reflexes are split between *aya and *ayo: most Northern Uto-Aztecan languages show *aya, while Nahuatl and some Takic forms point to *ayo. Huichol ꞌayé does not fit either pattern regularly.

Alternative reconstructions

(turtle, tortoise): *ʔay (Miller 1967)
(rattle): *ay (Miller 1967)

Related terms

*ayaw (“squash, gourd”)
*kata-ka (“to rattle”)
*koyo (“shell”)

Descendants

*ayaC (unmarked)

Northern Uto-Aztecan:
- Hopi: aaya (“gourd rattle”)
- Proto-Numic: *aya
  - Southern Numic:
    - Kawaiisu: ʔaya (“turtle”)
    - Ute: 'áya̱ (“turtle”) (Southern Paiute), ⇒ 'ayapʉ-chi̱ (“turtle”) (Colorado River)
Southern Uto-Aztecan:
- Cahita:
  - Mayo: ⇒ áyacame (“rattlesnake”)
- Proto-Nahuan:
  - Classical Nahuatl: ⇒ āyacachtli (“rattle”)

*ayaC-ta (absolutive)

Northern Uto-Aztecan:
- Cahuilla: 'ayill (“tortoise”)
- Proto-Takic: *ʼáyila
  - Cupeño: ayily, -ayi (“tortoise; tortoiseshell rattle”, possessed)
  - Luiseño: áyla (“abalone”), ⇒ páa'ila (“turtle”), ⇒ páa'ayat (“turtleshell rattle”) (or possibly from *ayaw (“squash, gourd”))

*ayaC-wït (augmentative)

Southern Uto-Aztecan
- Corachol:
  - Huichol: ꞌayé (“tortoise”)
- Taracahitic:
  - Tubar: hajaweṯ (“tortoise”)

*ayaC-wït-ta (augmentative and absolutive)

Southern Uto-Aztecan:
- Proto-Nahuan: *aayoo-tl (“tortoise”)
  - Classical Nahuatl: āyōtl
  - Pochutec: ayuʹt
  - Tetelcingo Nahuatl: öyutl
  - ⇒ Mecayapan Nahuatl: a̱yo̱tzi̱n
  - ⇒ Pipil: āyūtzin

References

Stubbs, Brian D. (2020) [2011], “2422. *ayaC / *ayoC 'turtle'”, in Uto-Aztecan: A comparative vocabulary‎^[1], revised online edition, Flower Mound, Texas: Shumway Family History Services, page 371
Miller, Wick R. (1967), “341 rattle *ay.; 445 turtle *ʔay.”, in Uto-Aztecan Cognate Sets (University of California Publications in Linguistics; 48), Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, page 51, ?