| Research Abstract |
Based upon the data collected through the field research in 1995 and ever before, the investigation in 1996 was concentrated upon the internal devision of South Ryuukyuu dialect. The difference of phonological structures and sound correspondences smong 11 dialects of South Ryuukyuu (Yonaguni, Iriomotesonai, Hateruma, Aragusuku, Taketomi, Ishigaki, Tarama, Hirara, Nagahama, Ikema, Oogami) were compared and analyzed.
From the synchronical point of view, South Ryuukyuu dialect was devided into two groups. One of which is the centrally distributing one that have basically four vowels including neutral vowel, and the other peripherally distributing one which have three vowels but neutral one. In the former, the neutral vowel of Oogami dialect was affirmed through acoutic analysis to have so notably backward substance compared with the one of other dialect, that is accompanied no fricative noise which is common in the neutral voewl of other dialects. Again on Oogami dialect, the devoicing of
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voiced-stops and the velarization of alveolar stops are assured to have occurred.
From the diachronical point of view, noticing the fact that not only the neutral vowel of the central dialects correspond to [i] vowel, but to several other various syllables in the peripheral dialects, it is assumed that the central dialects are to be on the old stage than the peripheral one, and the instability of neutral vowel should have coused various changes such as [i]-shifting, sylabic-consonantalizing, palatalizing, and others.
On the basis of above analysis and consideration, the data of the sound correspondings among South Ryuukyuu dialects was appled to the multivariate analysis, Hayashi's 3rd quantification theory. As the result of this statistical analysis, South Ryuukyuu dialects could primarily be divided into two groups, one of which is with neutral vowel and the other without it as expected above. Secondly, Oogami dialect could be devided from the other dialects of the former, mainly with the aspect of such backwardness of neutral vowel that would have caused velarization of alveolar stops. Less
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