Jeju language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jeju language |
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| 제주말 | |
Jeju Island (red), where the language is spoken
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| Native to | South Korea |
| Region | Jeju Island |
| Ethnicity | Jeju people |
| Native speakers | 5,000 - 10,000 (2010) |
| Language family |
Koreanic
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The Jeju language is a special language spoken on Jeju Island in South Korea. It's called 제주말 (Jeju-mal) by the people who speak it. This language is part of the Koreanic family, which means it's related to the Korean language spoken on the mainland.
Contents
How the Jeju Language Began
The Jeju language grew from an older language called Middle Korean. The Korean language spoken today also came from Middle Korean.
Over time, Jeju Island became very separate from mainland Korea. This happened because it's an island, and also because in 1629, people from Jeju were not allowed to leave the island. This made the language on Jeju even more different from the language on the mainland.
Who Speaks Jeju Today
The UNESCO organization says that Jeju is a "critically endangered" language. This means it's in danger of disappearing. Most people who speak Jeju are over 70 years old. Younger people on Jeju Island usually speak Korean instead.
In 2010, only about 5,000 to 10,000 people spoke Jeju. This is less than 2% of everyone living on Jeju Island.
Is Jeju a Language or a Dialect?
Many linguists, who are language experts, believe Jeju is its own language. They think this because people from mainland Korea usually cannot understand Jeju.
Others think Jeju is a very different kind of dialect of Korean. However, the local government on Jeju Island says it is a separate language. More and more experts, both in Korea and other countries, are starting to agree that Jeju is its own language. UNESCO also listed Jeju as one of the world's languages in 2011.
Related pages
- Jeju-do, the island where Jeju language is spoken
- South Korea
Images for kids
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ᄒᆞᆫ디 배우는 제주어 Hawndi Baeu-neun Jeju-eo, an introductory textbook published by the Jeju Language Preservation Society
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This image shows how Jeju verbs are used.
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The word for "lizard" is different in eastern and western Jeju. Eastern Seogwipo uses 장쿨레비 jangkullebi, while western Seogwipo uses 독다구리 dokdaguri.
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The word for "crab" is different in northern and southern Jeju.
See also
In Spanish: Idioma jeju para niños
