Reconstruction of the words for coldness in Atayalic languages

Atayalic languages (Austronesian) include two languages Atayal and Seediq. This paper reconstructs Proto-Atayalic form expressing coldness: “cold of an environment” and “cold of a thing.” Atayal has two dialects, Squliq Atayal and C’uli’ Atayal, and each dialect has a different form for “cold of an environment.” Squliq Atayal has gəhiraq and C’uli’ Atayal has məsəkinut, although some villages of C’uli’ Atayal have adopted Squliq Atayal form. In addition, both Atayal dialects have another form tələtu as the word for “cold of environment.” However, the original meaning of tələtu is “cold of a things” as this is supported by the cognates in Proto-Seediq, *tələətə (> *tələətu), and its meaning “cold of a thing.” For məsəkinut in C’uli’ Atayal, this paper argues that it is a cognate of the Proto-Seediq *səkəy. This C’uli’ form məsəkinut can be separated into two parts: səki and nut. The former element shows the reflex of *səkəy but the schwa in the final syllable underwent assimilation to the following y and became i in Proto-Atayal, i.e., *səkiy. The latter element nut could be a fossilized suffix. The final consonant y is deleted, and the suffix is added, resulting in səki-nut. The Proto-Atayalic form is constructed as *səkəy “cold of environment.” The Squliq Atayal form gəhiraq is derived from an Atayal form *Rihaq “the back side of the mountain.” An C’uli’ Atayal form for “cold” is giha<a>q, which is analyzed to include a fossilized infix <a>. This infix is known to date back to *<ra>. The Squliq Atayal form gəhiyaq underwent several phonological changes from the earlier form giha<ra>q. Finally, the Proto-Atayalic has *səkəy and *tələ(ʔ)ətə/*tələʔtə, which means “cold of an environment” and “cold of a thing,” respectively.