Also Known As:
Ikimatsu, Ryukyuan, Southern Ryukyuan, Saskisima, Saskishima, 宮古語, 宮古方言, ミャークフツ
Dialects & Varieties
- Mainland Miyako
- Ōgami
- Ikema
- Irabu
- Tarama
Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16th Edition (2009)
Lewis, M. Paul (ed.). 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16 edn. http://www.ethnologue.com/home.asp. (15 February, 2011.)
Severely Endangered
40 percent certain, based on the evidence available
Transmission
Transmission 4
Many of the grandparent generation speak the language, but younger people generally do not.
4
Speakers
Native or fluent speakers:
No results found.
Second-language speakers and learners
No results found.
Semi-speakers or rememberers
No results found.
Children:
No results found.
Young adults
No results found.
Older adults
No results found.
Elders
No results found.
Ethnic or community population
67,653
Year information was gathered
No results found.
Comments on speakers
No results found.
Location and Context
Countries
Japan;
Location Description
Southern Okinawa; Miyako, Ogami, Ikema, Kurima, Irabu, Tarama, Minna islands.
Government Support
No results found.
Institutional Support
No results found.
Speakers' Attitude
"little prestige" ... "still widely considered a “dialect” of Japanese, regardless of a definite lack of intelligibility and centuries of development virtually uninfluenced by any mainland Japanese variation"
Other Languages Used By The Community
Japanese
Number of Other Language Speakers:
None
Domains of Other Languages:
None
Writing Systems
Standard orthography:
No results found.
Writing system:
No results found.
Other writing systems used:
No results text.
Comments on writing systems:
No results found.
Recent Resources
English Description
In the Hisamatsu region, every year on the 4th of May (lunar calendar) a festiva
Shimoji Isamu: Miyako language
Contributor:
Patrick Heinrich
Performance of the song "Obaa" by Isamu Shimoji, a singer from Miyako.