"Say something in the Yaeyama dialect!"
This is a phrase that anyone from Yaeyama will likely hear at some point in their life, or perhaps many times.
In that case, what would you tell people outside the island as the Yaeyama dialect? "Haisai" or "Menso-re"? No, actually, neither "Haisai" nor "Menso-re" are words that our island ancestors actually spoke. Even "Amma", which is the title of that famous song, is not a Yaeyama dialect. All of these are words that were used mainly in Shuri and Naha on the main island of Okinawa.
Also, "Uchinaaguchi" mainly refers to the dialect of the main island of Okinawa, and is not a term used for the dialects of Miyako and Yaeyama. The various languages of the Ryukyu Islands, separated by the sea, cannot be lumped together as "Okinawa dialects" and are actually classified into smaller categories as shown in the diagram above. It is surprising that each dialect has many differences in vocabulary and grammar, and is said to be so far apart that mutual understanding is impossible. The dialect of Ishigaki Island corresponds to "Yaimanmuni" on this diagram.
However, the language we actually speak is "Japanese," which is understood almost everywhere in the country. The influence of "Yaima Muni," which has been used since ancient times, can be seen here and there in that language. I call this word, which has changed under the influence of Japanese, "Yaima Yamatomuni."
From next time, in this corner, we will be examining the topic of "Yaimayamatomuni." I hope this will be an opportunity for you to pay attention to the language of your birth island. Next time, we will be looking at "Did you piffle?" Please look forward to it!
