🌏 Region(s): Ryukyu (Okinawa)
くゎいん・くぁいん : kwain | define meaning
kwain
Pronunciation: [kʷaiŋ̍]
Definition
Verb
- (Vulgar, especially used with animals) To eat; to bite
- To gain
Etymology
Cognate with standard Japanese くらう【喰らう・食らう】 kurau "to eat, to consume; to receive, to get".
Historical attestations
- Vocabulary of the language spoken at the Great Loo-Choo island in the Japan Sea (1818), by Herbert John Clifford, records "Bite to, as a dog. Coóyoong." and "A live shell-fish will bite. Amang it'chchawng coóyoong".
- Voyage of His Majesty's Ship Alceste: Along the Coast of Corea, to the Island of Lewchew, with an Account of Her Subsequent Shipwreck (1818), by John M'Leod, records "Bite. Quayon"
Notes
See also: かむん kamun "to eat".
Spelling
| Orthography | Form |
|---|---|
| Kana | くゎいん くぁいん |
| New Okinawa Moji | 彩いん |
| Romanization | kwain |
| Pronunciation (IPA) | [kʷaiŋ̍] |
Verb Paradigm
|
|
|
Imperfective |
Perfective |
Negative |
Negative Perfective |
|
Indicative |
PRED |
kwayun, kwain |
kwatan |
kwaan |
kwaantan |
|
ATT |
kwayuru, kwairu |
kwataru |
|||
|
Progressive |
PRED |
kwatoon |
kwatootan |
kwateewuran |
kwateewurantan |
|
ATT |
kwatooru |
kwatootaru |
|||
|
Causative |
PRED |
kwaasun |
kwaachan |
kwaasan |
kwaasantan |
|
ATT |
kwaasuru |
kwaacharu |
|||
|
Passive and Potential |
PRED |
kwaariyun, |
kwaaritan, |
kwaariran, |
kwaarirantan, |
|
ATT |
kwaariyuru, |
kwaaritaru, |
|||
|
Causative-Passive |
PRED |
kwaasariyun, |
kwaasaritan |
kwaasariran |
kwaasarirantan |
|
ATT |
kwaasariyuru, |
kwaasariraru |
|||
|
Intransitivizing resultative (For transitive verbs only) |
PRED |
kwateen |
kwateetan |
kwateeneen |
kwateeneentan |
|
ATT |
kwateeru |
kwateetaru |
|||
|
Preparatory |
PRED |
kwatoochun |
kwatoochan |
kwateeukan |
kwateeukantan |
|
ATT |
kwatoochuru |
kwatoocharu |
|
Form |
Construction |
|
Root |
kwa- |
|
Dictionary |
kwayun, kwain |
|
Attributive or Adnominal |
kwayuru, kwairu |
|
Apocopated (indicative imperfective) |
kwayu-, kwai- |
|
Adverbial |
kwai |
|
Volitional-Presumptive |
kwara |
|
Conjunctive |
kwati |
|
Representative |
kwatai |
|
Imperative |
kwari, |
|
Conditional |
kwaree |
|
Form |
Construction |
|
Conjecture |
kwayuru haji, kwairu haji |
|
So as to... |
kwayuru gutu, kwairu gutu |
|
Before... |
kwayuru mee, kwairu mee |
|
While... |
kwayuru qweeda, kwayuru-qweema, kwairu qweeda, kwairu-qweema |
|
Purpose |
kwayuru tami ni, kwairu tami ni |
|
Form |
Construction |
|
Request |
kwati-kwimisooree |
|
Benefactive |
kwati-kwiin |
|
Completive |
kwati-neen |
|
Concessive conditional |
kwati-n |
|
After... |
kwati-kara |
|
After... |
kwati-atu |
|
Form |
|
Imperfective |
Perfective |
Negative |
Negative perfective |
|
Desiderative |
PRED |
kwai-busan |
kwai-busantan |
kwai-bushikoo neen, kwai-bushikoo neeran |
kwai-bushikoo neentan, kwai-bushikoo neerantan |
|
ATT |
kwai-busaru |
kwai-busataru |
|||
|
Easy to... |
PRED |
kwai-yassan |
kwai-yassantan |
kwai-yashikoo neen, kwai-yashikoo neeran |
kwai-yashikoo neentan, kwai-yashikoo neerantan |
|
ATT |
kwai-yassaru |
kwai-yassataru |
|||
|
Hard to... |
PRED |
kwai-gurisan |
kwai-gurisantan |
kwai-gurikoo neen, kwai-gurikoo neeran |
kwai-gurikoo neentan, kwai-gurikoo neerantan |
|
ATT |
kwai-gurisaru |
kwai-gurisataru |
|
Form |
|
Imperfective |
Perfective |
Negative |
Negative perfective |
|
Exalting |
PRED |
kwai-misheen |
kwai-misheentan |
kwai-misooran |
kwai-misoorantan |
|
ATT |
kwai-misheeru |
kwai-misheetaru, |
|
Form |
Construction |
|
While (simultaneously)... |
kwai-gachii |
|
Form |
Construction |
|
Reported past |
kwayu-tan, kwai-tan |
|
Nominalizing |
kwayu-shi, kwai-shi |
|
Concessive |
kwayu-shiga, kwai-shiga |
|
Cause-effect |
kwayu-kutu, kwai-kutu |
|
Prohibitive |
kwayu-na, kwai-na |
|
Provisional conditional |
kwayu-raa kwai-raa |
|
Questions |
kwayu-ga, kwai-ga |
|
Form |
|
Imperfective |
Perfective |
Negative |
Negative perfective |
|
Polite |
PRED |
kwayabiyun, kwaibiyun, |
kwayabitan, kwaibitan |
kwayabiran, kwaibiran |
kwayabirantan, kwaibirantan |
|
ATT |
kwayabiyuru, kwaibiyuru, |
kwayabitaru, kwaibitaru |
|||
|
Polar questions |
PRED |
kwayumi, kwaimi |
kwatii |
kwaani |
kwaantii |
Verb paradigms are based off several sources including, but not limited to:
- Funatsu, Yoshiaki. (1988). 美しい沖縄の方言①. [Utsukushii Okinawa no kotoba 1]. ISBN4-905784-19-0.
- Sakihara, Mitsugu. (2006). Okinawan-English Wordbook. University of Hawai'i Press, Honolulu. ISBN: 0824831020.
- Shizato, Rumiko and Iwasaki, Shoichi. (2024). Basic Okinawan: From Conversation to Grammar. University of Hawai'i Press, Honolulu. ISBN: 9780824893651.
意味：くう【食う】、たべる【食べる】