Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Yoron language

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Native to
  
Japan

ISO 639-3
  
yox

Native speakers
  
950 (2004)

Glottolog
  
yoro1243

Region
  
Yoronjima within the Amami Islands, Kagoshima Prefecture

Language family
  
Japonic Ryukyuan Northern Ryukyuan Amami or Okinawan Yoron

The Yoron language (ユンヌフトゥバ Yunnu Futuba) is a dialect continuum spoken on Yoronjima in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan. It is one of the Northern Ryukyuan languages, which are a sub-branch within the Japonic languages family.

Contents

Dialects

According to local folklorist Kiku Chiyo, Yoron dialects can be divided into three groups:

  • Chabana
  • Asato (/asi⸢tu/), Gusuku (/gusi⸢ku/ ～ /gusu⸢ku/), Ritchō, Kanō (/ha⸢noː/) and Nama (/naː⸢ma/)
  • Mugiya-higashiku, Mugiya-nishiku and Furusato (/puru⸢satu/)

    • The Mugiya district is often considered to have a distinct form of accent and intonation.

    Folk terminology

    According to Kiku Hidenori, who leads conservation activities, people of Yoron Island, Kagoshima Prefecture call their language "Yunnu Futuba." More precisely, a dictionary compiled by his mother Kiku Chiyo (b. 1927) gives /junnuhu⸢tuba/ as the word form of her home community, Mugiya-higashiku. Other words she collected include /junnu⸢jun/ (Yoron accent), /nizjancju⸢jun/ (accent of people of Mugiya-higashiku and Mugiya-nishiku), /sima⸢jun/ (speaking the dialect), /sima⸢guci/ and /simahu⸢tuba/ (the island/home community's language). Yamada Minoru (b. 1916) provides the word forms of the community of Chabana: /⸢ju⸣nnu ⸢fu⸣tuba/ and /⸢ʃi⸣ma ⸢fu⸣tuba/ (the island's language).

    Phonology

    The following is the phonology of the Mugiya dialect, which is based on Hirayama et al. (1969).

    Consonants

    Notes

  • The null onset /∅/ may be added. It contrasts with glottal /h/ and /ʔ/.
  • /h/ is [ç] before /i/, and [ɸ] before /u/. /hwa/ is phonetically realized as [ɸa].
  • /si/, /se/ and [t͡ʃu] is realized as [ʃi], [ʃe], and [t͡su], respectively.
  • [t͡ʃa], [t͡ʃu] and [t͡ʃo] are phonemically analyzed as /t͡ʃja/, /t͡ʃju/ and /t͡ʃjo/, respectively.
  • [ʃa], [ʃu] and [ʃo] are phonemically analyzed as /sja/, /sju/ and /sjo/, respectively.
  • N and Q are syllable codas (nasal and geminated stop, respectively).

    • Vowels

    The Yoron language has /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/ and /u/, long and short.

    Correspondences to Standard Japanese

    Only major sound correspondences are listed.

  • Standard Japanese /e/ is merged into /i/.
  • Standard Japanese /o/ is merged into /u/.
  • Yoron /e/ and /o/ are of secondary origin and mostly correspond to Standard Japanese diphthongs.
  • Yoron retains /p/ while it has changed to /h/ in Standard Japanese.
  • Standard Japanese /t͡ʃu/, /su/ and /zu/ correspond to /t͡ʃi/ [t͡ʃi], /si/ [ʃi] and /zi/ [d͡ʒi].
  • Standard Japanese /k/ shows complex correspondences. Standard Japanese /ka/ corresponds to both Yoron /ka/ and /ha/. /ki/ corresponds to /ki/ and /si/. /ke/ corresponds to /si/ with some exceptions. /ku/ corresponds to /hu/.
  • Standard Japanese /ni/ corresponds to Yoron /mi/.
  • Yoron /r/ is dropped when it is surrounded by a vowel and /i/.
  • Standard Japanese /o/ that comes from earlier /wo/ corresponds to Yoron /hu/.

    • References

    Yoron language Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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