The Matagi dialect (マタギ言葉, 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.
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 (板橋義三) in 2008.[3]
Vocabulary
Below are some examples 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 | 水・酒 | わっか | wakka |
| bear | 熊 | いたず | itazu |
| bear | 熊 | なびれ | nabire |
| dog | 犬 | せた | seta |
| dog | 犬 | へだ | heda |
| wolf | 狼 | おきゃく | okyaku |
| Japanese macaque | 猿 | すね | sune |
| Japanese serow | カモシカ | あおけら | aokera |
| Japanese serow | カモシカ | こしまけ | koshimake |
| cattle | 牛 | つのから | tsunokara |
| rice (uncooked) | 米 | くさのみ | kusanomi |
| Buddhist temple | 寺 | くし | kushi |
| heart | 心臓 | さんぺ | sanpe |
| non-Matagi person | マタギでない人 | せたぎ | setagi |
Yoshizo Itabashi (板橋義三) (2019) notes that many Ainu words in Matagi have undergone semantic shifts:[5]
| Matagi | Meaning in Matagi | Ainu | Meaning in Ainu |
|---|---|---|---|
| kado | weather (天候) | kanto | heaven, sky (天、空) |
| magiri | small knife, spear (小刀、槍) | makiri | small knife (小刀) |
| bakke | bear head (熊の頭) | pake | human or animal head (人の頭、動物の頭) |
| hira | net for catching bears (ケン網という熊を捕まえる網) | pira | cliff (崖) |
| hono | medium-sized serow (中型のカモシカ) | pono | small (小さい) |
| horo | a lot (たくさん) | poro | big (大きい) |
| sa(m)be | heart, gall of bear or serow (熊やカモシカの心臓、胆) | sampe | heart (心臓) |
| heda, seda, seta | dog (犬) | seta | dog (犬) |
| wa(n)ba, washi | avalanche (雪崩) | upas | snow (雪) |
| wakka | water (水), liquor (酒) (as part of compounds) | wakka | water (水) |
See also
References
- ^ 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. p. 245–264. doi:10.4018/978-1-7998-2959-1.ch011. ISBN 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). マタギ語辞典 (A Dictionary of the Matagi Language) (in Japanese). 東京: 現代図書 (Gendai Tosho). ISBN 978-4-434-11304-8.
- ^ "マタギことば・やまことば". gari2.tuzikaze.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-12-26.
- ^ 板橋義三 (2019). "マタギ語とアイヌ語の言語接触とマタギ語の起源と歴史" (PDF). 東洋文化講座一〇〇回記念講演「東アジアにおける危機言語」 (in Japanese).
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