Southern Amami Ōshima | |
---|---|
Native to | Japan |
Region | Setouchi, Kagoshima |
Ethnicity | Ryukyuan |
Native speakers | 1,800 (2004) [1] |
Japonic
| |
Japanese | |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 |
ams |
Glottolog |
sout2954 |
The Southern Amami Ōshima language is a Ryukyuan language spoken in Setouchi, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. [1] [2] It is generally considered to be the southern variety of the Amami Ōshima language, whereas a separate northern variety exists. [1] [2] [3]
According to Ethnologue, there are 1,800 speakers of Southern Amami Ōshima. [1] The northern variety has 10,000 speakers. [3] Both of these languages are endangered, as younger generations either speak Japanese or a local variety of Japanese known as Ton-futsūgo. [4] [5]