言葉 - Wiktionary, the free dictionary From Old Japanese 言葉 (ko 2 to 2 ba), attestable since at least the Man'yōshū of 759 CE [1] In turn, reconstructed as deriving from Proto-Japonic *kətənpa Compound of 言 (koto, “ word ”) + 端 (ha, “ edge; beginning, end ”) [1] [2] The ha changes to ba as an instance of rendaku