ProtoJaponic

Proto-Japonic is the reconstructed ancestor of the Japonic language family, encompassing Japanese and the Ryukyuan languages. It is not directly attested in any written or oral record; reconstruction relies on systematic comparison of its descendant languages.

Scholars place Proto-Japonic in the Japanese archipelago and its surroundings during the late Jōmon to early Yayoi periods, with diversification into Yamato Japanese and Ryukyuan branches by the first centuries CE. Dates and homeland are debated, and some models emphasize deeper or more localized development.

Reconstructed phonology suggests a relatively small consonant inventory and a five-vowel system, with a preference for phonological patterns that later appear in Japanese and Ryukyuan. The morphology is typically described as analytic with prominent suffixing, including verbal endings and postposed particles marking grammatical relations. The basic vocabulary preserves core terms for kinship, body parts, and everyday actions.

Internal classification divides Japonic into at least two major lineages: Yamato Japanese and Ryukyuan languages, with various sub-branches within Ryukyuan. The precise boundaries and internal subgroupings remain subject to scholarly debate and increasingly refined by comparative data.

External affiliations of Proto-Japonic are contested. Some proposals link Japonic with Koreanic or other language families, but there is no widely accepted consensus. Most scholars treat Japonic as a distinct language family with its own internal history.