Yaeyama language facts for kids

The Yaeyama language is a special language spoken on the Yaeyama Islands. These islands are located in Okinawa Prefecture, which is part of Japan. It belongs to a group called the Southern Ryukyuan languages.

Where Yaeyama Language Comes From

The Yaeyama language is one of six languages known as the Ryukyuan languages. These languages are spoken across the Ryūkyū Islands in Japan. All the Ryukyuan languages, including Yaeyama, are part of a bigger language family. This family is called the Japonic language family, which also includes the Japanese language.

Is Yaeyama a Language or a Dialect?

There are different ideas about whether Yaeyama is its own language. The Japanese government sees Yaeyama as a dialect of Japanese. A dialect is a different way of speaking a language. However, many language experts, called linguists, believe Yaeyama is a separate language. The United Nations organization UNESCO also agrees that Yaeyama is a distinct language.

Related Pages

• Yaeyama Islands
• Ryukyuan languages