Ryukyuan language

language

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July 16, 2026

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The Ryukyuan language is part of the Japonic language family, which also includes Japanese and its dialects. The Ryukyuan language itself is spoken in the Ryukyu Islands, an archipelago southwest of Japan.123

The Ryukyuan language is classified with Japanese but is distinct. It consists of three dialect groups that correspond to the main island clusters: the Amami group, the central Okinawa islands, and the southern Sakishima islands. These dialects are not mutually intelligible with standard Japanese, nor are they mutually intelligible among themselves. While Japanese is widely spoken in the Ryukyu Islands, local dialects are also in use.4

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Ryukyu Islands
The Ryukyuan language, which is classified with Japanese, consists of three dialect groups corresponding to the main island clusters. There is no mutual intelligibility between these dialects and Japanese nor among the dialect groups. Japanese is commonly spoken by the majority of the Ryukyuans, but local…
Read More
The Ryukyuan language, which is classified with Japanese, consists of three dialect groups corresponding to the main island clusters. There is no mutual intelligibility between these dialects and Japanese nor among the dialect groups. Japanese is commonly spoken by the majority of the Ryukyuans, but local…
Read More