Cloud

There are at least three different Uto-Aztecan roots among the words used for "cloud" in Southern Uto-Aztecan languages: one that can be reconstructed as *mosi or *mausi, attested in Nahuan, Coracholan, Tubar and Eudeve (and Hopi, and Takic); another that can be reconstructed as *(na-)homau, attested in Tarahumara, Tubar and Yaqui (and Hopi); And also one that can be reconstructed for proto-Tepiman as *hikomagi and which is attested in Tepiman languages (and Northern Paiute) and possibly related to a PUA root meaning "gray".

*mosi/*mausi

Lionnet (1985#150) reconstructs *mosi for "Sonoran" based on cognates in Opata, Nothern Eudeve and Tubar. Stubbs (2011#502) adds Nahua to the cognate set, and also ties it to cognates in Hopi and the Californian languages (Luiseño, Cupeño and Tübatülabal), reconstructing *mosi for PUA. Hill (2020:MO-07) admits Takic but does not include Hopi or Tübatülabal. However the Nahuan form cited by Stubbs <mixtli> is not the only one found in Nahuan, and the vowel doesn't fit well with the proposed reconstruction.

Lionnet (1985#150) reconstructs:

"Sonoran" *mosi from

Tubar mosí-t "cloud"

Eudeve mosí-t "cloud"

Ópata mosi "cloud"

Stubbs(2011#502) adds: Hopi /pamøøsi/ <pamöösi> "fog, mist" Luiseño més-ma-l "fog, mist" Cupeño mesmel "fog" (identified by Hill 2020 as a loan word from Luiseño) Tübatülabal paašuumiši-t "fog", and paašuumišiigim ~ ’aabaašuumiš ‘get cloudy’ Nahua /mištli/ <mixtli> "cloud"

LS /e/ reflects PUA/PNUA *o

However, if we look at variation within Nahuatl, as described by Lastra (1986) we see three different forms, with varying vowels: mi:ʃ- (the mos widespread form), me:ʃ- (found in Morelos, Tlaxcala, parts of Mexico state and Southern and Northern Puebla -i.e. in the Central dialects) and moʃ- (found only in Central Guerrero). Nahuan variation between /i/ and /e/ of this type usually points towards a reconstruction with PUA *u and Corachol-Nahua ɨ. This kind of variation described by Canger and Dakin precisely leads to i forms in the East and e forms in the Center/West. PCN *ɨ sometimes does give Nahua /o/ when standing in a labial environment as here. Therefore if we posit Proto-Nahua *mɨʃ- (from *musi) this would explain the Nahuan vowels, but no other languages in SUA suggest a reconstruction with *u. Now, we have not seen any cognates in Corachol, but in Wixárika we do have 'aɨʃi <'a+xi> "steam, fog", and there are a handful of examples of initial *m being lost in Corachol before central vowels *a and *ɨ - so this could reconstruct as *maɨsi in proto-Corachol.

Pharao Hansen reconstructs for proto-Corachol-Nahuan:

PCN *maɨsi-tɨ < *mausi-tu

Based on:

E.Nah. mi:ʃ- <mix-tli> "cloud /nube"

Guerrero Nah. a moʃ- "cloud"

W.Nah. me:ʃ- <mex-tli> "cloud /nube"

Hch. 'aɨʃi <'a+xi> "vapor, neblina"

149 *moro mor-i "humear". - O moresa, "ahumarse", En móro-; Va molo-, mori-, TA mooró. Opata/Teuima moc "haber humo" (Pimentel, Vocabulairo Manual de la lengua Ópata) Nah. moloni, .MOLONI: molōni "manar la fuente o cosa assi. o leuantar se muchas nuues, o leuantarse con el ayre las plumas, o estenderse y oler mucho los perfumes y olores suaues (M)." mo-08 smoke (Miller 1967: 393 [no reconstruction]) Northern Uto-Aztecan Takic Serran Kitanemuk moāʔt <mwaʔt, múát; muat, mwat; mo-waht> smoke (n.) ‣ Anderton 1988: 409, 414, 641 Serrano mōʳʔ smoke, be smoky ‣ kch Serrano moʳāʔt smoke (n.) ‣ kch Cupan Luiseño kū̱mit <kú·mi-t> smoke ‣ Bright 1968: 18 (perhaps with ku-04) Luiseño me̱ji- <méyi-> to make a medicinal steam or smoke by putting herbs on fire or on heated rocks ‣ Bright 1968: 23 [cognate?] Cupeño miʔ̱ at <mi'̱a-t> smoke (n.) ‣ Hill & Nolasquez 1973: 163 Cahuilla ‑miʔ- <‑míʔ-> to emit smoke (in burning) ‣ Seiler & Hioki 1979: 112 Cahuilla miʔ̱ at <míʔ-at> smoke ‣ Seiler & Hioki 1979: 112 Guariío/Rarámuri Guarijío molona̱ <molo-ná> to make smoke ‣ Miller 1996: 359 Rarámuri (Tarahumara) moro̱ <moró> hay humo, hacer humo «be smoky, make smoke» ‣ Hilton 1959: 45 Rarámuri (Tarahumara) mori ̱<morí> humo «smoke» ‣ Lionnet 1972: 98 Eudeve/Ópata Eudeve moro̱n <morón> humear «smoke» ‣ Pennington 1981: 204 mo-09 boil *molo- boil ‣ Campbell & Langacker 1978: 270 (207) (cf. mu-23) Northern Uto-Aztecan Tübatulabal Tübatulabal monʔmōnot <mô´n’mô·´onô´t> it is boiling ‣ C. F. Voegelin 1935: 73 Nahua *molōnV <*moloonV> boil ‣ Campbell & Langacker 1978: 263 (18) Classical Nahuatl moloni manar la fuente o coſa aſsi. oleuantarſe muchas nuues, o leuantarſe con el ayre las plumas, o eſtenderſe y oler mucho los perfumes y olores ſuaues «for a fountain or something similar to flow out, for many clouds to rise, for feathers to rise up in the breeze, for perfumes and gentle odors to spread and smell greatly» ‣ Molina 1571: 58v Classical Nahuatl molōni <molōn(i)> to waft, to rise and drift on air currents, to effervesce ‣ Karttunen 1983: 151 Tetelcingo Mexicano kimolōnia <quim̱ olunia̱ > lo hierve «[he] boils it» ‣ Brewer & Brewer 1962: 190 Pochutla Mexicano moluntuk <moluntúc> está hirviento «it is boiling» ‣ Boas 1917: 31 Pipil mulūni <mulu:

*homau/*na-homau

PSUA *(na-)homau

Hopi oomaw "cloud";

Tarahumara na’oma "become cloudy, erased"

Tubar homé-k "be cloudy"

Yaqui naamu "cloud"

Tepiman: PTEP *hi-koma "cloud(y)" < PUA *kuma "grey"

• hikomagi "cloudy" <*sikomawi

NT ikómaga

ST hikma’

ST hikoom/hikma "cloud, fog"

TO koomhai "mist, fog"

NP kummi-bï "cloud"

'gray' at 'gray'; therefore, these may relate to *kuma 'gray, dark color' with a prefixed element; see at 'gray’.