A Research on Phonemic System Changes in the Dialects with Central Vowels

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In 2003, filed work research was carried out in Hateruma dialect., one of the Yaeyama dialects. It was observed that phonemic contrast between front- lower-mid vowel and central-lower-mid vowel is becoming ambiguous. And also, phonemic contrast between front-lower-mid vowel and high-central vowel is becoming ambiguous.Mutual assimilation of noun and subjective case particle is decreasing and getting difficult to hear in the research interviews. Devoicing of the voiced consonants at the top of the second syllable tend to be less than before.The sound data of Hateruma dialect was recorded in the digital video tapes and digital audio tapes.In 2004, field work was carried out in Taketomi dialect, also one of the Yaeyama dialects. Distinction between high-front vowel and high-central vowel is not clearly bearable. Central vowel does not exist in the phonemic system of this dialect any longer.Voiceless stops, following the word initial syllable which structure is a voiceless consonant and a high vowel, are often glottalized. This tendency varies depending on the individual informant. It has been reported by researchers that there is no glottalized consonants in South Ryukyuan dialects except for Yonaguni dialect. But in this field work research, glottalized consonants are confirmed in Taketomi dialect. The main features of phonemic system of Taketomi dialect were recorded with digital video cameras and digital audio tape recorders.In 2005, the data of Hateruma dialect and Takedomi dialect were compared and analyzed precisely. Considering the numbers of the inhabitants and geographical positions of these islands, the dialect of Takatomi island is endangered to extinguish more seriously than that of Hateruma island. Therefore it was decided to make CD of the sound data of Taketomi dialect first, and 300 copies were made.