| Japonic | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution: |
Japan |
| Linguistic classification: | isolate or Altaic (see Japanese language classification) |
| Subdivisions: |
? Gaya (Kara)
|
Japonic languages is a term which identifies and characterises the Japanese which is spoken on the main islands of Japan and the Ryukyuan languages spoken in the Ryukyu Islands. This widely accepted linguistics term was coined by Leon Serafim.[1]
"Japonic" or "Japanese-Ryukyuan" is a language family composed of the Japanese and Ryukyuan languages. A common ancestral language is known as "Proto-Japonic".[2] The essential feature of this classification is that the first split in the family resulted in the separation of all dialects of Japanese from all varieties of Ryukyuan. According to Shiro Hattori, this separation occurred during the Yamato period (250–710).[3]
Scholarly discussions about the origin of Japonic languages present an unresolved set of related issues.[4] The clearest connections seem to be with toponyms in southern Korea which may be in Gaya (Kara) or other scarcely attested languages.[5]
Contents |
The Japonic (or Japanese–Ryukyuan) languages are:
The relationship of the Japonic (or Japanese-Ryukyuan) languages to other languages and language families is controversial. There are numerous hypotheses, none of which is generally accepted.
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