The Matagi dialect (ใใฟใฎ่จ่, Matagi kotoba) is a functionally extinct[1] Japanese sociolect spoken by the Matagi people of Akita Prefecture and other areas of the Tohoku region in northern Honshu, Japan. The Matagi dialect is sometimes called Yama-kotoba (ๅฑฑ่จ่; lit.โ'mountain words').
| Matagi dialect | |
|---|---|
| ใใฟใฎ | |
| Nativeย to | Japan |
| Region | Akita, Aomori |
| Extinct | 2021[1] |
Japonic
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | โ |
Matagi contains various unique words relating to hunting, tools, and rituals, many of which are of Ainu origin.[1][2]
A dictionary of Matagi was published by Yoshizo Itabashi (ๆฟๆฉ็พฉไธ) in 2008.[3]
Vocabulary
editBelow are some examples of unique Matagi words. Words such as wakka 'water', seta 'dog', and sanpe 'heart' are of Ainu origin.[4]
| English gloss | Japanese gloss | Matagi (hiragana) | Matagi (romanized) |
|---|---|---|---|
| water; liquor | ๆฐดใป้ | ใใฃใ | wakka |
| gun; rifle | ้็ ฒใป้ | ใใใน | surube |
| bear | ็ | ใใใ | itazu |
| bear | ็ | ใชใณใ | nabire |
| dog | ็ฌ | ใใ | seta |
| dog | ็ฌ | ใธใ | heda |
| wolf | ็ผ | ใใใใ | okyaku |
| Japanese macaque | ็ฟ | ใใญ | sune |
| Japanese serow | ใซใขใทใซ | ใใใใ | aokera |
| Japanese serow | ใซใขใทใซ | ใใใพใ | koshimake |
| cattle | ็ | ใคใฎใใ | tsunokara |
| rice (uncooked) | ็ฑณ | ใใใฎใฟ | kusanomi |
| Buddhist temple | ๅฏบ | ใใ | kushi |
| heart | ๅฟ่ | ใใใบ | sanpe |
| non-Matagi person | ใใฟใฎใงใชใไบบ | ใใใ | setagi |
Yoshizo Itabashi (ๆฟๆฉ็พฉไธ) (2019) notes that many Ainu words in Matagi have undergone semantic shifts:[5]
| Matagi | Meaning in Matagi | Ainu | Meaning in Ainu |
|---|---|---|---|
| kado | weather (ๅคฉๅ) | kanto | heaven, sky (ๅคฉใ็ฉบ) |
| magiri | small knife, spear (ๅฐๅใๆง) | makiri | small knife (ๅฐๅ) |
| bakke | bear head (็ใฎ้ ญ) | pake | human or animal head (ไบบใฎ้ ญใๅ็ฉใฎ้ ญ) |
| hira | net for catching bears (ใฑใณ็ถฒใจใใ็ใๆใพใใ็ถฒ) | sirar | cliff (ๅด) |
| hono | medium-sized serow (ไธญๅใฎใซใขใทใซ) | pon | small (ๅฐใใ) |
| horo | a lot (ใใใใ) | poro | big (ๅคงใใ) |
| sa(n)pe | heart, gall of bear or serow (็ใใซใขใทใซใฎๅฟ่ใ่) | sampe | heart (ๅฟ่) |
| heda, seda, seta | dog (็ฌ) | seta | dog (็ฌ) |
| wa(n)ba, washi | avalanche (้ชๅดฉ) | upas | snow (้ช) |
| wakka | water (ๆฐด), liquor (้ ) (as part of compounds) | wakka | water (ๆฐด) |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Itabashi, Yoshizo (2021). "The Origin and History of the Extinct Contact-Induced Language, Matagi". Advances in Religious and Cultural Studies. IGI Global. pp.ย 245โ264. doi:10.4018/978-1-7998-2959-1.ch011. ISBNย 978-1-7998-2959-1.
- ^ Versluis, Mirjam (2014). The Matagi language and its relation to the Ainu and Japanese languages (MA thesis). Leiden University. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
- ^ Itabashi, Yoshizo (2008). ใใฟใฎ่ช่พๅ ธ (A Dictionary of the Matagi Language) (in Japanese). ๆฑไบฌ: ็พไปฃๅณๆธ (Gendai Tosho). ISBNย 978-4-434-11304-8.
- ^ "ใใฟใฎใใจใฐใปใใพใใจใฐ". gari2.tuzikaze.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-12-26.
- ^ ๆฟๆฉ็พฉไธ (2019). "ใใฟใฎ่ชใจใขใคใ่ชใฎ่จ่ชๆฅ่งฆใจใใฟใฎ่ชใฎ่ตทๆบใจๆญดๅฒ" (PDF). ๆฑๆดๆๅ่ฌๅบงไธใใๅ่จๅฟต่ฌๆผใๆฑใขใธใขใซใใใๅฑๆฉ่จ่ชใ (in Japanese).
