Discussion:
Are nishi/higashi related to migi/hidari
(too old to reply)
yosushi
19 years ago
Permalink
The sounds seem related:
migi (right ) and nishi ( west )
hidari (left) and higashi (east )

The emperor palace used to face south and have a left ( east ) wing and
right (west ) wing. Does anyone know for sure if this is behind these
words being very close, or if this is more due to sheer luck ?
Zhen Lin
19 years ago
Permalink
Post by yosushi
migi (right ) and nishi ( west )
hidari (left) and higashi (east )
The emperor palace used to face south and have a left ( east ) wing and
right (west ) wing. Does anyone know for sure if this is behind these
words being very close, or if this is more due to sheer luck ?
No. Chance coincidence.

The etymology of higashi is given as follows in the $BBg<-NS(B:
higashi < hingashi < himukashi

My personal belief is that nishi is related to inishie - given that for
the Ryukyuan languages, nishi = north; the theory being that since for
the Japanese, who migrated eastward, nishi = west, and that for the
Ryukyuans, who migrated southwards, nishi = north... The exception seems
to be Amami, who think like the mainlanders. (What is stranger: for
Japanese, $BKLKm(B is taboo. For Ryukyuans, $BKLKm(B and $B@>Km(B are taboo.)
Marc Adler
19 years ago
Permalink
Post by Zhen Lin
My personal belief is that nishi is related to inishie
The etymology of inishie means "the direction [we/they] went,"
right? $BF~$K$7J}!)(B Wouldn't it therefore be the other way round?
Not "where we came from" but "where [the present] went"?

Marc
Zhen Lin
19 years ago
Permalink
Post by Marc Adler
The etymology of inishie means "the direction [we/they] went,"
right? $BF~$K$7J}!)(B Wouldn't it therefore be the other way round?
Not "where we came from" but "where [the present] went"?
I take $B1}$K$7(B = past, gone, so $B1}$K$7$X(B = towards the past.