Tokunoshima (Kagoshima, Northern Ryukyuan)

要旨

The Language and Its Speakers 1.1 Geography The Tokunoshima dialect (hereafter, Tokunoshima or TKN) is spoken in Tokunoshima Island.The three maps on figure 2.1 show the Japanese Archipelago, the islands of the Northern Ryukyus, and Tokunoshima Island, in order from left to right.Tokunoshima is divided into three towns: Amagi Town in the northwest, Tokunoshima Town in the east, and Isen Town in the south.Out of dozens of villages (TKN: sima, or sjuuraku) on the island, the present chapter focuses on the dialect of three villages in the southern part of Isen Town unless otherwise stated: Higashihama (also known as Higashiomonawa in Japanese and Agarebaa in Tokunoshima), Kenbuku (TKN: Kɨnbuu), and Uemonawa (TKN: Unnoo). Genetic Affiliation and Typological ClassificationThe Amami language genealogically belongs to the Northern Ryukyuan branch of the Japonic family (Pellard 2015).The second map on figure 2.1 shows the islands where the Northern Ryukyuan languages (Amami, Kunigami and Okinawa) are spoken.As far as the author recognizes, there is no comparative linguistic study on the genetic relationship among areal variations of Amami.Uemura (1972) classified the Northern Ryukyuan languages into four groups based on their typological features: Kikaijima, Oshima-Tokunoshima, Okinoerabu-Northern Okinawa, and Southern Okinawa.According to Uemura (1972), Tokunoshima falls into the Oshima-Tokunoshima group with Amami Oshima, Kakeromajima, Ukejima, and Yorojima.Nakamoto (1990) regarded the dialects of islands located from Amami Oshima in the north to Yoronjima in the south as 'Amami dialect' , and classified them into five groups: Northern Amami Oshima, Southern Amami Oshima, Tokunoshima, Northern Kikaijima, and Southern Kikaijima-Okinoerabujima-Yoronjima.Tokunoshima has dozens of villages, each of which has a unique dialect.As far as the author recognizes, there is no comparative linguistic study on the genetic relationship among areal variations of Tokunoshima.

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