Ryukyuan languages
Spoken in
- Altaic languages ( disputed) Japonische languages Ryukyu languages
The Ryukyu languages are a subset of the language family Japanese Ryukyu and spoken on the belonging to Japan Ryukyu Islands.
Formation
The Ryukyu languages , together with the Japanese language or Japanese - japonische the Ryukyu language family. Japanese and the Ryukyu languages have separated about 1,500 years ago and then developed largely independently of each other (today, however, is the influence of the Japanese in the Ryukyu languages very large).
The further genetic affiliation of Japanese- ryūkyūanischen language family is unclear. Endorsed by numerous scientists and most likely is a genetic relationship with the Korean and the Altaic languages; discussed the existence of an Austronesian substrate, which is mainly as a phonologically and lexically.
Current Situation
Through the dissemination of Japanese standard language after the Meiji Restoration and the subsequent annexation of the Kingdom of Ryukyu in Japan all Ryukyu languages are threatened with extinction today. Although their number of speakers is indicated by one million, the truth in the light of today's use of degree, however, is highly questionable. While the members of the older generation, they usually fluent alongside Japanese, speak the younger ones ( most of which pulls in the big cities of Japan's main islands and thus their " dialect " is not needed ) usually only Japanese and have possibly passive knowledge of the Ryukyu languages.
In the last ten years, however, movements have arisen, working for their revitalization. These movements learn but at the present time no support from the Japanese government and the prefecture of Okinawa and Kagoshima administrations. The future of the Ryukyu languages is therefore uncertain.
Definition
Between the Ryukyu languages and Japanese, there are considerable differences in the area of phonology, morphology, syntax and the lexicon, partly reflecting phenomena of Old Japanese. The Ryukyu languages are, therefore, among other things, language historian of great importance. Information about the number of Ryukyu languages vary greatly. They range from three to eleven languages. There are no modern linguistic standard varieties and no written language varieties. This makes it difficult to define them.
On the basis of mutual intelligibility five Ryukyu languages can be identified. These are from north to south: Amami Oshima -, Okinawa, Miyako, Yaeyama and Yonaguni. None of these languages allows for a mutual understanding with Japanese. Investigations of the basic vocabulary have shown that there is only a match of 59 percent between the Tokyo and variety of Miyako- variety. The share of the common, derived basic vocabulary is thus, for example less than that between German and English. Within the Ryukyu languages, there are many local varieties. The Research Center for the languages of Okinawa has performed phonological studies in more than 800 local dialects.
The northern languages , which are closer to the main islands, show greater similarity to modern Japanese, however, exists between the northern Ryukyu language ( Amami ) and the southern Japanese dialect ( Kagoshima / Satsuma - ben ) a significant break. The oldest surviving source of Ryukyu language is the 1532 assembled Omoro Soshi, a collection of traditional songs and rituals.
Some scholars see the Ryukyu languages as " Okinawa dialects " of the Japanese. The name of a variety as " dialect " is an expression of a power structure. That is, in respect of certain political goals is a particular variety as the standard, that is, as " language" (言语, gengo ) defines the elites within the scientific, governmental institutions and media, whereas others pejoratively as " dialect " (方言Hogen ,弁ben ) are referred to. This leads to a self-reinforcing definition of the standard variety as a " high level language " and a self-reinforcing devaluation of the other varieties.
Structure
- Ryukyu Amami (奄 美 语) Northern dialects: Tanegashima, Yakushima, Nördl. Oshima
- Southern dialects: Southern. Oshima, Yoron
- Dialects: Motobu ( Northern Okinawa ), Ie, south-central Okinawa ( Okinawa standard ), the main island dialect, Shimajiri ( affiliation debatable )
Comparison with the Japanese
The vowels of the Ryukyu languages are different from those of the Japanese. The following correspondences can be identified: