Kanagawa dialect


The Kanagawa dialect is the term used to describe the Japanese dialects spoken in Kanagawa Prefecture. As there is no single unified dialect throughout the prefecture, it is a collective term, with some of the regional dialects spoken including: the Sōshū dialect, the Yokohama dialect, the Hadano dialect and Shōnan dialect, among others.

Outline

The Kanagawa dialect, along with other dialects such as the Gunma, Saitama and Tama dialects, make up the wider West Kantō dialect. It is sometimes considered difficult to identify a dialect that is strictly unique to Kanagawa. This is due, in part, to its close similarity to other West Kanto dialects, particularly in areas that border other prefectures. For example, the southern Ashigara area shares features with east Shizuoka dialects, whilst the western part of the former Tsukui District, located in the far northwest of Kanagawa, possesses similarities with the Gunnai dialect of eastern Yamanashi Prefecture. Parts of the north of the prefecture that are proximate to the Tama Region of Tokyo or the more metropolitan special wards of Tokyo, share numerous traits with the dialects of these respective areas. Like many other parts of Japan, traditional dialects in Kanagawa are declining under the influence of standard Japanese. Owing to its proximity to Tokyo, this trend is even more notable in Kanagawa, especially in northern urban areas, such as Kawasaki, Sagamihara and Yokohama.

Regional variation

There is some general similarity in dialects spoken across the prefecture, with noticeable homogeny in phonology and pitch accent. There are greater recognised differences in grammar and vocabulary, however. Regionally, the largest differences are found in geographically separated areas, such as north and south of the Tanzawa Mountains or east and west of the Sagami River. In the case of the Sagami River, a notable exception is at its estuary where areas on opposite banks have been connected historically via the Tōkaidō, leading to relatively fewer dialectal differences between them. Aside from north/south and east/west differences, there is notable variation in the Sagami Bay coastal area, Miura Peninsula and the Ashigara region.  
Below are the dialect sub-divisions proposed in 1961 by Sukezumi Hino..
Phonology is typical for a West Kanto dialect, but less common traits exist in some areas.

Pronunciation

  • There is a strong tendency among speakers to merge the vowel sound ai to ē. → butē, kitai → kitē, omae → omē.
  • * In some areas, most notably Ashigara and Tsukui, ai may become yā instead. → kyāru.
  • k- starting mora that lie within a word may become voiced. → igu.
  • r-starting mora may become n in certain situations. → wakannē, aru kara → an kara
  • Along the Sagami Bay coastal area and on the Miura Peninsula, the phonemes je and she are sometimes used.

    Pitch accent

Generally, the prefecture has the Tokyo-standard pitch accent, although some deviation is found west of the Sagami River, where ‘three-beat’ nouns such as a-sa-hi that are usually front-mora stressed in standard Japanese may become middle-mora stressed. There are also some examples of words that have an accent in standard Japanese becoming non-accented. This ‘non-accenting’ has also recently been observed in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. Below are some examples of words that do not have a pitch accent in some Kanagawa dialects.
Standard JapaneseKanagawa
o-kyaku 'sama �→o-kyaku sama �
seito →seito
jugyō →jugyō
tamago →''tamago

Grammar

The particle be and its related expressions da be and danbe are commonly used in Kanagawa. However, unlike other Kanto dialects the ending e sound is not lengthened, and in some areas these particles may lose their b- sound to become e and da e. Kanagawa-native Masahiro Nakai as well as the talent Thane Camus, both of whom hail from Fujisawa City, are known for often using these phrases. Particularly in the Shōnan area, yo is often attached to be to form be yo. For example:
  • sakki kara, sou itteru jan would become sakki kara, sou itten-be yo in the Shōnan area.
Other sentence-ending particles common in Kanto dialects such as ne and sa are also widely used. In comparison with the Tokyo area, however, these particles are often lengthened, sā, yō and have an atypical intonation. Due to sometimes being perceived as rude or improper, some schools have encouraged students to avoid using these particles. Like many other Kantō dialects, polite speech is seldom used in Kanagawa dialects. The word kudasai has multiple regional variants in Kanagawa. North of the Tanzawa Mountains it can become kunro, whilst south of the mountains is may be said as kēro, kenro or kunna. In Shōnan, it is sometimes said as sē, sassē and rassē . West of the Sagami River, the question-indicating sentence-ending particle ke is sometimes used, and the adverb bakari may become simply bē. For example:
  • sake bakari nonja dame deshō in standard Japanese becomes sake bē nonja dame da be west of the Sagami River.
The adversative conjunction kedo can be said as kendo, and in parts of Ashigara and Tsukui, the conjecture-indicating particle zura may be used. For example:
  • sō darō becomes sō zura.
Other notable grammatical and conversational features include:
  • The vigorous repetition of the name of an object that one is showing to someone else.
  • Responding to the phrase shitte iru ka? with shitte nē instead of shiranai as is common in standard Japanese.

    ''jan'' (''ka'') ・ じゃん(か)

The expression jan is a common expression in Yokohama and other parts of Kanagawa. It became frequently used from the Shōwa Era onwards, with presumed etymological origins in sō ja, an ka as shown below.
  • sō ja↔'an ka → sō jan' ka.
It is thought to have been introduced to Kanagawa via the Tōkaidō, Kōshū Kaidō or Silk Road originally out of Aichi Prefecture, where it is believed to have roots in the Mikawa dialect. In parts of the Miura Peninsula, jē and jen are sometimes used instead.

Vocabulary

The table below shows some examples of different vocabulary between Kanagawa dialects and standard Japanese.
EnglishStandard JapaneseHadano
Throw awaysuteru uccharu
Pushosu oppesu
Talk / chatshaberu kucchaberu
Cold tsumetai shakkoi
Destroy bukkowasu bokkosu
Last nightyuube yunbe

Other references

  • 井上史雄・篠崎晃一・小林隆・大西拓一郎編 日本列島方言叢書6 関東方言考2 群馬県・埼玉県・千葉県・神奈川県. ゆまに書房.
  • * 日野資純 相模方言の素描 Musashino.
  • * 日野資純 神奈川県の方言 Yamakawa.
  • 佐藤亮一編 都道府県別 全国方言辞典 CD付き Sanseidō.
  • Tanaka, Yukari 編 平山輝男編集委員代表 日本のことばシリーズ14　神奈川県のことば Meiji..
Category:Japanese dialects
Category:Culture in Kanagawa Prefecture