The Yoron language ( ''Yunnu Futuba'') is a

dialect continuum A dialect continuum or dialect chain is a series of language varieties spoken across some geographical area such that neighboring varieties are mutually intelligible, but the differences accumulate over distance so that widely separated varie ...

spoken on Yoronjima in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan. It is one of the Northern Ryukyuan languages, which are a sub-branch within the

Japonic language family Japonic or Japanese–Ryukyuan, sometimes also Japanic, is a language family comprising Japanese, spoken in the main islands of Japan, and the Ryukyuan languages, spoken in the Ryukyu Islands. The family is universally accepted by linguists, and ...

. The language is one of the most endangered languages in all of Japan.

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 and . * is before , and before . is phonetically realized as . *, and is realized as , , and , respectively. *, and are phonemically analyzed as , and , respectively. *, and are phonemically analyzed as , and , respectively. *N and Q are syllable codas (nasal and geminated stop, respectively).

Vowels

The Yoron language has , , , and , long and short.

Correspondences to Standard Japanese

Only major sound correspondences are listed. *Standard Japanese is merged into . *Standard Japanese is merged into . *Yoron and are of secondary origin and mostly correspond to Standard Japanese diphthongs. *Yoron retains while it has changed to in Standard Japanese. *Standard Japanese , and correspond to , and . *Standard Japanese shows complex correspondences. Standard Japanese corresponds to both Yoron and . corresponds to and . corresponds to with some exceptions. corresponds to . *Standard Japanese corresponds to Yoron . *Yoron is dropped when it is surrounded by a vowel and . *Standard Japanese that comes from earlier corresponds to Yoron .

Resources

* ''Yorontō-go jien'' (1995) by Yamada Minoru. The author is from Chabana, Yoron Island of the Amami Islands but also collected data from other communities on the island. * ''Yoron hōgen jiten'' (2005) by Kiku Chiyo and Takahashi Toshizō. A dictionary for Kiku's home community, Mugiya-higashiku, Yoron Island of the Amami Islands.