Back Ryukyu-tale Afrikaans لغات جزر ريوكيو Arabic Llingües ryukyuenses AST ریوکیو دیللری AZB Basa Ryukyu BJN Yezhoù ryoukyouek Breton Llengües ryukyuenques Catalan Liù-giù-ngṳ̄ CDO Ryūkyū-Sprachen German Ριουκιουανές γλώσσες Greek
| Ryukyuan | |
|---|---|
| Ethnicity: | Ryukyuan people |
| Geographic distribution: | Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa Prefecture, Amami Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture) |
| Linguistic classification: | Japonic
|
| Subdivisions: | |
 Location of Ryukyu Islands | |
The Ryūkyūan languages (Okinawan: 琉球口, Duuchuuguchi) are a group of Japonic languages spoken in the Ryūkyū Islands, the southernmost part of Japan. The languages are Amami, Kunigami, Okinawan, Miyako, Yaeyama and Yonaguni.
Although Japan says the Ryukyuan languages are dialects of Japanese, most linguists see them as languages. This is because Japanese speakers would not be able to understand Ryukyuan without learning it.[1]
In the past, the Ryukyuan languages were spoken all over Ryukyu, but due to the languages being discriminated against, most Ryukyuans now speak Japanese.[2]
- ↑ "Language Loss and Revitalization in the Ryukyu Islands | The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus". apjjf.org. Retrieved 2020-08-02.
- ↑ "Assimilation Practices in Okinawa". www.uchinanchu.org. Archived from the original on 2022-05-05. Retrieved 2020-08-02.