CHANGES IN GEOGRAPHICAL DIALECT CREATED BY "SHIMANAMI" BRIDGE

“岛南沿海公路”（西濑高速公路）是连接广岛市尾道市和爱媛县今本市的濑户内海横贯大陆公路，于1999年5月竣工。由于高速公路的建设，中国地区和四国地区通过6个岛屿，如濑户内海的仁野岛等，通过7座桥梁连接起来。由于广岛县和爱媛县的方言之间的直接接触和冲突，岛南沿海高速公路的开通预计将给该地区带来重大的直接变化。经过3年的调查研究，上述预测的准确率只有50%。这些变化进展不够，因为公路开通才几年，公路还没有成为居民心目中的“住宅公路”。此外，由于语言冲突，该地区语言的微小变化被大众传播的语言标准化以及关西方言的普及所超越。这使得从直接接触和冲突中很难看到实际结果。然而，一些新的趋势已经出现在不同的地方。越来越多的人选择走桥而不是坐船去上班或上学。由于这种情况，我们认为方言的直接接触变化将在未来逐渐发生。这种变化看起来很快，但实际上发生的速度较慢。

"Shimanami coastal highway" (Nishi-seto Express way) was completed in May of 1999 as the Seto inland sea transcontinental highway connecting Onomichi city in Hiroshima prefecture and Imabari city in Ehime prefecture.Due to that highway construction, Chugoku region and Shikoku region is connected by 7 bridges via 6 islands, such as Inno island and others in the Seto Inland Sea.It was predicted that the opening of Shimanami coastal highway would result in major direct changes in this region, due to direct contact and conflict between the dialects of Hiroshima prefecture and Ehime prefecture.The result of 3 years investigation and research is the conclusion that the above predictions were only 50% precise.The changes has not progressed enough, because only a few years have passed since the highway opening, and the highway has not yet became a "residential road" among the residents.Moreover, the minor change of language in this region from linguistic conflict is surpassed by the standardization of language by mass communication, as well as by the popularization of Kansai dialect.This makes it difficult to see actual results from direct contact and conflict.However, some new trends have appeared in various places. There have been increases in the number of people who commute to work or school by bridge instead of by ship.Because of this situation, we feel that the dialect change by direct contact will occur gradually in the future. This kind of change seems quick, but in fact, it is happening at a slower pace.