Includes bibliographical references and index.

Preface -- List of Figures and Tables -- Abbreviations and Conventions -- 1 Introduction -- 1 What is the Omoro Sōshi ? -- 2 Types of omoro -- 3 Versions -- 4 Song Structure -- 5 Overview of the Omoro Language -- 2 Spelling System and Phonology -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Reconstruction Methodology -- 3 Suprasegmentals -- 4 Consonants -- 5 Processes -- 6 Meter in Omoros -- 7 The Question of External Evidence and Its Relation to That Presented Here -- 8 Coda -- 3 Lexicon -- 1 PJ Origin -- 2 Loans from MJ -- 3 Loans from Sino-Japanese -- 4 Loans from Korean -- 5 Origins Unknown -- 6 Mishōgo (MO, Meanings Obscure) -- 4 Nominals -- 1 Nouns -- 2 Pronouns -- 3 Numerals -- 4 Nominal Prefixes -- 5 Nominal Suffixes -- 5 Adjectives -- 1 What is an Adjective? -- 2 Evolution of Adjectives -- 3 Functional Differences between/among Types -- 4 Functions as Modifiers, Predicates, or Noun Formatives -- 6 Verbs -- 1 Conjugation Types -- 2 History of Conjugational Merger: ra-gyō yodan-ka -- 3 Functional Split ( mz ) -- 4 Development of the Gerund -- 7 Auxiliaries -- 1 Passive/Exalting/Spontaneous -ari(·r)- ~ -uyi(·r)- -- 2 Causative/Exalting -as- -- 3 Negative -azɨ ~ -aɴ ~ -an- -- 4 Negative -adana -- 5 The Optative/Counterfactual Auxiliary -(a)masyi -- 6 Inference/Intention: -aɴ , -a , and -ami -- 7 Negative Inferential/Intentional -umazyi -- 8 Past -syi -- 9 Perfect -t˚ar- , -c˚yar- , -dar- , -ʣyar- -- 10 Emphatic Locative: -ʔac˚ɨr-u -- 11 Progressive: -ur- -- 12 Progressive/Perfective -yaaryi -- 13 Copula: -yar- , -nar- -- 14 The Exalting Auxiliary Verb -(u)wa·r/s- -- 15 Humilific Auxiliary -abir- -- 16 Humilific Auxiliary tʰat°imac°ɨr- -- References -- Index.

The Omoro Sōshi (1531-1623) is an indispensable resource for historical linguistic comparison of Old Okinawan with other Ryukyuan languages and Old Japanese. Leon A Serafim and Rumiko Shinzato offer a reference grammar, including detailed phonological analyses, of the otherwise opaque and dense poetic/religious language of the Omoro Sōshi . Meshing Western linguistic insight with existing literary/linguistic work in Ryukyuan studies, and incorporating their own research on Modern Okinawan, the authors offer a grammar and phonology of the Omoro language, with selected (excerpts of) songs grammatically analyzed, phonologically reconstructed, translated, and annotated.

Description based on print version record.