Yoron language

The Yoron language (ユンヌフトゥバ Yunnu Futuba) is a dialect continuum 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. 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: The Mugiya district is often considered to have a distinct form of accent and intonation.
 * 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/)

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 or loanword 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.
 * In some words, 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 jiten (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.