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
  
JaponicRyukyuanNorthern RyukyuanAmami or OkinawanYoron

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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