Jeju language

language spoken in Jeju, South Korea From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jeju language
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The Jeju language (Jeju: 제주말, Jeju-mal) is a Koreanic language spoken on the South Korean island of Jeju. It is related to Korean.

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History

The Jeju language comes from Middle Korean, which is also the ancestor of the Korean language.

Jeju became a separate language from (mainland) Korean due to its isolation as an island and because in 1629, Jejuans were banned from leaving Jeju, causing more disconnection.

Usage

UNESCO lists Jeju as a "critically endangered" language, since most of its speakers are over the age of 70.[1] Younger Jejuans speak Korean instead. As of 2010, the language is spoken by 5,000 - 10,000 people, which is less than 2% of Jeju Island's total population.[1]

Dialect or language

Many linguists think Jeju is its own language, mostly because mainland Koreans cannot understand it.[2] Others think Jeju is a dialect of Korean, although a very different one. The local government calls Jeju as a separate language, and the idea of it being a language is becoming more accepted in both Korean and foreign academia. UNESCO listed Jeju as one of the world's languages in 2011.[2]

References

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