Japanese dialects?
- Thread starter Muz1234
- Start date
- 6 Mar 2003
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- 12 Oct 2004
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Saying that dialects can be roughly grouped into Eastern and Western hardly means there are only two dialects in all of Japan. (And is the "one-half" Kyushu dialect? Does it only count as a "half" because one scholar considered it a subset of Western Japanese?)
It's not easy to give a precise answer (I'm not even going to attempt it because I'm not a linguist), but from a practical perspective of almost anyone listening to the differences, the number is going to be much, much higher than 2 1/2. Even this diagram on the same Wikipedia page probably paints a more accurate picture.
- 6 Mar 2003
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I completely made up that answer and didn't even read the Wikipedia I linked. So it's not based on any logic whatsoever.
To be honest, I don't take Muz's questions very seriously.
- 12 Oct 2004
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Haha. Well, I don't blame you one bit for that.mdchachi said:
Didn't mean to be a humorless spoilsport, but I guess I just answered out of instinct for the sake of anyone else who might end up at this thread through a search or whatever and actually be interested in the answer.
- 22 Feb 2008
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Probably this is the most serious answer; the number differs depending on the way of classification said by a linguist.
このように見方によって方言の分類や境界線は変わってきます。ですから，何によって分類するかで「いくつ」という答えは違ってくることになります。
kotobaken.jp
Japanese wikipedia shows 200 or so dialects.
ja.wikipedia.org
このように見方によって方言の分類や境界線は変わってきます。ですから，何によって分類するかで「いくつ」という答えは違ってくることになります。
日本語には方言がいくつありますか - ことば研究館 | 国立国語研究所
日本語には方言がいくつありますか。 ※ この記事の初出は『新「ことば」シリーズ』16号（2003、国立国語研究所）です。当時の雰囲気を感じられる「ことばのタイムカプセル」として、若干の修正を加えた上で
Japanese wikipedia shows 200 or so dialects.
日本語の方言 - Wikipedia
- 6 Mar 2003
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No but in a roundabout way he's generating good content for the site with many of these threads.
- 18 Jan 2005
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How do foreigners react when watching Japanese dialects?
- 22 Feb 2008
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Well, 津軽弁 Tsugaru dialect is indeed incomprehensible even for natives, as the youtuber said in the video. 
This I gotta agree, so many discussions that are worth it seeing (most of them at least...... a few are disposable am I right)
- 8 Aug 2005
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In my estimation, he throws out topics of discussion like wildflower seeds, and never bothers to look back at what comes of them. Even his responses tend to be non sequiturs.
We've grown some worthwhile conversations out of his threads, all without his participation.
- 18 Jan 2005
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The talk that citizens of Aomori experienced in Tokyo.
- It was slightly interesting.
- 18 Jan 2005
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Akita dialect
The world's most difficult English reading and understanding.
The world's most difficult English reading and understanding.
filipe.mtx
Kouhai
- 11 Oct 2021
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majiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiika
- 18 Jan 2005
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Movie "Inside Out" Special Dialect Video
