RESEARCH IN LINGUISTIC GEOGRAPHY OF AMAMI ISLANDS

本研究的目的有三个方面：(1)运用语言地理学的方法，对奄美群岛各传统村落的方言基本词汇进行调查；(2)从而确定每种方言的音韵、词汇和语法特征；(3)考察方言的产生、发展和变化过程。在三年的项目中，在奄美群岛的三个地区进行了实地研究：(1)濑户内地区，包括Kakeroma-shima， Uke-shima, Yoro-shima, (2) toku - noshima和(3)Okierabu-shima。部分研究成果以方言同源词表和语言地图集的形式进行了报道。本研究总结了奄美诸岛的语言地理调查；其他地区（菊海岛、北间美大岛、羽龙岛）已在1983- 1985年教育部科研资助项目“琉球方言基本词汇的语言地理研究”中进行了考察。这项名为“阿美群岛语言地理研究”的研究的完成，也标志着研究人员一直在进行的涵盖整个琉球群岛800多种方言的更全面的同类研究完成了大约80%。本研究的主要发现有：(1)濑户内地区虽然地形复杂，但形成了一个独特的方言区（南奄美-大岛方言）。这被认为是由于平静的内海使交通方便成为可能。(2)德野岛和冲捷岛是两个截然不同的方言区，各具特色。(3)这三个方言区与奄美群岛的其他方言区，即北部的Kikai-shima、北部奄美-大岛和南部的Yoron-shima，也有不同和对比。

The aim of this study is three-fold: (1) To investigate the basic vocabulary of the dialect of every traditional village found on Amami Islands using the methods of linguistic geography; (2) thereby, to characterize each of the dialects in its phonology, lexicon, and grammar; and (3) to investigate the processes of birth, development and change of the dialects. During the three Years of the project, field research was carried out over three areas of Amami Islands: (1) The Setouchi area including Kakeroma-shima, Uke-shima, Yoro-shima, (2) Toku-no-shima, and (3) Okierabu-shima. Parts of the research results have been reported in the form of a list of cognate words of the dialects and in the form of a linguistic atlas.This study concludes the investigation of linguistic geography of all Amami Islands; for the other areas--Kikai-shima, Northern Amami-Oshima, and Yoron-shima--had been investigated under the GRANT- IN-AID-FOR-SCIENTIFIC-RESEARCH PROJECT granted by Ministry of Education for 1983-85, titled "Research in Linguistic Geography of the Basic Vocabulary of the Ryukyuan Dialects." The completion of this study, "RESEARCH IN LINGUISTIC GEOGRAPHY OF AMAMI ISLANDS," also marks approximately 80% completion of the more comprehensive study of the same kind covering more than 800 dialects over the entire chain of Ryukyu Islands, which the investigators of this study have been conducting.Major findings of this study are: (1) The Setouchi area, despite its complex topography constitutes one unique dialect area (Southern Amami-Oshima Dialect). This is considered to be due to the convenience in transportation made possible by the calm inland sea. (2) Toku-no-shima and Okierabu-shima constitute two distinct dialect areas, showing unique characteristics respectively. (3) Each of the three dialect areas also differs from and contrasts with the other dialect areas of Amami Islands, namely, Kikai-shima, Northern Amami-Oshima to the north and Yoron-shima to the south.