Yaeyama Language

Yaeyama Language

Yaeyama (やいまむに, Yaimamuni) is a Ryukyuan language that is spoken in the Yaeyama Islands, the southernmost inhabited island group in Japan, with a combined population of about 50,000 (as of 2011). The Yaeyama Islands are situated to the southwest of the Miyako area of the Ryukyus and to the east of Taiwan. Yaeyama (Yaimamunii) is most closely related to Miyako. The number of competent native speakers is not known - as a consequence of Japanese language policy, reflected in the education system, people below the age of 60 tend to not use the language except in songs and rituals, and the younger generation exclusively uses Japanese as their first language. Yaeyama has three main dialects, named after the islands they are found on:

• Ishigaki
• Iriomote
• Taketomi

The speech of the island of Yonaguni, while related, is usually considered a separate language.