Geographical Distribution of Animal and Crop Terms in Asian and African Languages

This chapter discusses the geographical distribution of 13 word items related to domesticated animals and crops in Asia and Africa with geolinguistic method: (1) rat/mouse, (2) chicken, (3) horse, (4) dog, (5) wolf, (6) bear, (7) rice plant, (8) wheat, (9) broomcorn millet, (10) foxtail millet, (11) barnyard millet, (12) taro, and (13) yam. Individual maps show representative word forms from each language family. Previous interpretations of their interrelationships are summarized, along with the authors’ opinions, if available. This study focuses on the relationships between the Japonic language family and its surrounding language families in East Asia. In conclusion, the absence of these crops and words in the outer areas clearly defined the Japonic-speaking people’s homeland.