The Nakijin dialect is often considered representative of Kunigami, analogous to the Shuri-Naha dialect of Central Okinawan. The number of fluent native speakers of Kunigami is not known. As a result of Japanese language policy, the younger generation mostly speaks Japanese as their first language.
In addition to the northern portion of Okinawa Island, Kunigami is spoken on the small neighboring islands of Ie, Tsuken and Kudaka.[2]
Scope and classificationedit
Glottolog, following Pellard (2009), classifies Kunigami with Central Okinawan as the two Okinawan languages. Ethnologue adds Okinoerabu and Yoron; these (along with all other languages of the northern Ryukyu Islands) are classified as Amami languages by Glottolog. The UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger, following Uemura (2003), includes Okinoerabu and Yoron as varieties of Kunigami.[3]
Folk terminologyedit
The speakers of Kunigami have various words for "language", "dialect", and "style of speech". For example, linguist Nakasone Seizen (1907–1995) stated that the dialect of his home community Yonamine, Nakijin Village had (corresponding Standard Japanese word forms in parentheses): /kʰu⸢tsʰii/ (kuchi), /hut˭uu⸢ba/ (kotoba) and /munu⸢ʔii/ (monoii). The language of one's own community was referred to as /simaagu⸢tsʰii/ or /sima(a)kʰu⸢t˭uu⸣ba/.[4] The Yonamine dialect was part of Nakijin's western dialect called /ʔirinsimaakʰut˭uba/.[5] The northern part of Okinawa was colloquially known as Yanbaru and hence its language was sometimes called /jˀan⸢ba⸣rukʰut˭uuba/.[6]
Phonologyedit
Like most Ryukyuan languages north of Central Okinawan, Kunigami has series of so-called "tensed" or "glottalized" consonants. While the nasals and glides are truly glottalized,[citation needed] the stops are tenuis[C˭], in contrast to the aspiration of the "plain" stops [Cʰ].[7] Kunigami is also notable for the presence of an /h/ phoneme separate from the /p/ phoneme that is believed to be the historical source of /h/ in most other Japonic languages; Kunigami /h/ instead has two different sources: Proto-Japonic/*k/ or otherwise the zero initial in certain conditioning environments. Thus, for example, the Nakijin dialect of Kunigami has /hak˭áí/ (light, a lamp, a shōji),[8] which is cognate with Japanese /akárí/ (light, a lamp); the Kunigami form is distinguished from its Japanese cognate by the initial /h/, tenuis /k˭/, and elision of Proto-Japonic *r before *i. The Kunigami language also makes distinctions in certain word pairs, such as Nakijin dialect /k˭umuú/ (cloud) and /húbu/ (spider), which in Japanese are almost homophonic (/kúmo/ and /kumó/).
Morphologyedit
One notable difference in the use of certain morphological markers between Kunigami language and Standard Japanese is the use of the /-sa/ form as an adverb in Kunigami: e.g. Nakijin dialect /tʰuusápʰanaaɽít˭un/, which is equivalent to Standard Japanese toókú hanárete irú ("It is far away"). In Standard Japanese, the /-ku/ form is used adverbially, while the /-sa/ form is used exclusively to derive abstract nouns of quality and amount ("-ness" forms) from adjectival stems.
Resourcesedit
Okinawa Nakijin Hōgen Jiten by Seizen Nakasone. A dictionary of the Yonamine dialect of Nakijin village.
Okinawa Iejima Hōgen Jiten by Mutsuko Oshio. A dictionary of the Ie dialect.
Referencesedit
^Kunigami at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
^Nakamoto Masachie 中本正智 (1981). Zusetsu Ryūkyū-go jiten 図説 琉球語辞典 (in Japanese). p. 26.
^ (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
^ (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 5 January 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
^ (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
^Samuel E. Martin (1970) "Shodon: A Dialect of the Northern Ryukyus", in the Journal of the American Oriental Society, vol. 90, no. 1 (Jan–Mar), pp. 97–139.
Kunigami language test of Wikipedia at Wikimedia Incubator
February 16, 2024
kunigami, language, kunigami, northern, okinawan, language, yanbaru, kutūba, 山原言葉, ヤンバルクトゥーバ, ryukyuan, language, northern, okinawa, island, kunigami, district, city, nago, otherwise, known, yanbaru, region, historically, territory, kingdom, hokuzan, kunigami山. The Kunigami or Northern Okinawan language Yanbaru Kutuba 山原言葉 ヤンバルクトゥーバ is a Ryukyuan language of Northern Okinawa Island in Kunigami District and city of Nago otherwise known as the Yanbaru region historically the territory of the kingdom of Hokuzan Kunigami山原言葉 ヤンバルクトゥーバ Yanbaru KutubaNative toJapanRegionNorthern Okinawa IslandsNative speakers5 000 2004 1 Language familyJaponic RyukyuanNorthern RyukyuanKunigamiWriting systemJapaneseLanguage codesISO 639 3 a href https iso639 3 sil org code xug class extiw title iso639 3 xug xug a Glottologkuni1268 KunigamiThis article contains IPA phonetic symbols Without proper rendering support you may see question marks boxes or other symbols instead of Unicode characters For an introductory guide on IPA symbols see Help IPA The Nakijin dialect is often considered representative of Kunigami analogous to the Shuri Naha dialect of Central Okinawan The number of fluent native speakers of Kunigami is not known As a result of Japanese language policy the younger generation mostly speaks Japanese as their first language Contents 1 Location 2 Scope and classification 3 Folk terminology 4 Phonology 5 Morphology 6 Resources 7 ReferencesLocation editIn addition to the northern portion of Okinawa Island Kunigami is spoken on the small neighboring islands of Ie Tsuken and Kudaka 2 Scope and classification editGlottolog following Pellard 2009 classifies Kunigami with Central Okinawan as the two Okinawan languages Ethnologue adds Okinoerabu and Yoron these along with all other languages of the northern Ryukyu Islands are classified as Amami languages by Glottolog The UNESCO Atlas of the World s Languages in Danger following Uemura 2003 includes Okinoerabu and Yoron as varieties of Kunigami 3 Folk terminology editThe speakers of Kunigami have various words for language dialect and style of speech For example linguist Nakasone Seizen 1907 1995 stated that the dialect of his home community Yonamine Nakijin Village had corresponding Standard Japanese word forms in parentheses kʰu tsʰii kuchi hut uu ba kotoba and munu ʔii monoii The language of one s own community was referred to as simaagu tsʰii or sima a kʰu t uu ba 4 The Yonamine dialect was part of Nakijin s western dialect called ʔirinsimaa kʰut uba 5 The northern part of Okinawa was colloquially known as Yanbaru and hence its language was sometimes called jˀan ba rukʰut uuba 6 Phonology editLike most Ryukyuan languages north of Central Okinawan Kunigami has series of so called tensed or glottalized consonants While the nasals and glides are truly glottalized citation needed the stops are tenuis C in contrast to the aspiration of the plain stops Cʰ 7 Kunigami is also notable for the presence of an h phoneme separate from the p phoneme that is believed to be the historical source of h in most other Japonic languages Kunigami h instead has two different sources Proto Japonic k or otherwise the zero initial in certain conditioning environments Thus for example the Nakijin dialect of Kunigami has hak ai light a lamp a shōji 8 which is cognate with Japanese akari light a lamp the Kunigami form is distinguished from its Japanese cognate by the initial h tenuis k and elision of Proto Japonic r before i The Kunigami language also makes distinctions in certain word pairs such as Nakijin dialect k umuu cloud and hubu spider which in Japanese are almost homophonic kumo and kumo Morphology editOne notable difference in the use of certain morphological markers between Kunigami language and Standard Japanese is the use of the sa form as an adverb in Kunigami e g Nakijin dialect tʰuusa pʰanaaɽit un which is equivalent to Standard Japanese tooku hanarete iru It is far away In Standard Japanese the ku form is used adverbially while the sa form is used exclusively to derive abstract nouns of quality and amount ness forms from adjectival stems Resources editOkinawa Nakijin Hōgen Jiten by Seizen Nakasone A dictionary of the Yonamine dialect of Nakijin village Okinawa Iejima Hōgen Jiten by Mutsuko Oshio A dictionary of the Ie dialect References edit Kunigami at Ethnologue 18th ed 2015 subscription required Nakamoto Masachie 中本正智 1981 Zusetsu Ryukyu go jiten図説 琉球語辞典 in Japanese p 26 Kunigami UNESCO Retrieved 1 February 2014 Nakijin Dialect Dictionary kotoba in Japanese Archived from the original on 4 March 2016 Retrieved 1 February 2014 Nakijin Dialect Dictionary Nakijin hōgen gaisetsu in Japanese Archived from the original on 5 January 2020 Retrieved 1 February 2014 Nakijin Dialect Dictionary yanbaru kotoba in Japanese Archived from the original on 22 February 2014 Retrieved 1 February 2014 Samuel E Martin 1970 Shodon A Dialect of the Northern Ryukyus in the Journal of the American Oriental Society vol 90 no 1 Jan Mar pp 97 139 Acute accent indicates a high tone nbsp Kunigami language test of Wikipedia at Wikimedia Incubator Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kunigami language amp oldid 1206214573, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
