Hokuriku dialect
Encyclopedia
The is a Japanese dialect group spoken in Hokuriku region
, consists of Fukui Prefecture
, Ishikawa Prefecture
, Toyama Prefecture
, and Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture
. Grammar is related to Kansai dialect, for example, ya copula and n negative form are also used in Hokuriku.
and the , also spoken in Shiramine
, a village at the foot of Mount Haku
. Kanazawa is a capital of Ishikawa, so Kanazawa-ben is a influential dialect.
The most famous phrase in Kanazawa-ben is the soft imperative suffix -masshi (～まっし), meaning -nasai (～なさい) in standard Japanese. This phrase is often used in catch phrases for visitors of Kanazawa, for example, Kimasshi Kanazawa! (来まっし、金沢! Come to Kanazawa!).
Recent works on Kanazawa-ben
.
Instead of the colloquial shitte iru ka? (知っているか？ Do you know?), speakers of the Toyama-ben will ask, shittokke? (知っとっけ？).
When expressing that something is incorrect, instead of saying the standard phrase iie (いいえ), users of the dialect will say naan (なあん), with a rising tone.
Other regional distinctions include words like kitokito (キトキト fresh or delicious) and ikiiki (イキイキ energetic).
Other features :
"kore" (これ "this")/"ka" or "ko", "sore" (それ "that")/"sa" or "so".
Toyama-ben speakers sometimes put "ze" instead of "ne" at the end of the sentence.
Hokuriku region
The is located in the northwestern part of Honshū, the main island of Japan. It lies along the Sea of Japan within the Chūbu region. It is almost equivalent to Koshi Province and Hokurikudō area in pre-modern Japan....
, consists of Fukui Prefecture
Fukui Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Fukui.- Prehistory :The Kitadani Dinosaur Quarry, on the Sugiyama River within the city limits of Katsuyama, has yielded the Fukuiraptor kitadaniensis and Fukuisaurus tetoriensis as well as an unnamed...
, Ishikawa Prefecture
Ishikawa Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is Kanazawa.- History :Ishikawa was formed from the merger of Kaga Province and the smaller Noto Province.- Geography :Ishikawa is on the Sea of Japan coast...
, Toyama Prefecture
Toyama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Toyama.Toyama is the leading industrial prefecture on the Japan Sea coast, and has the industrial advantage of cheap electricity due to abundant water resources....
, and Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture
Niigata Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Honshū on the coast of the Sea of Japan. The capital is the city of Niigata. The name "Niigata" literally means "new lagoon".- History :...
. Grammar is related to Kansai dialect, for example, ya copula and n negative form are also used in Hokuriku.
Fukui
The dialects of Fukui Prefecture are spoken in the northern part, and the spoken in the southern part. Because Fukui close to Kansai on the south, Wakasa-ben resembles Kansai-ben closely, while Fukui-ben exhibits changes in pronouncing the sounds of words to make the pronunciation more convenient.| Fukui dialect | Standard Japanese | English meaning (rough translation) |
|---|---|---|
| ほやほや | はい or そうですよ | "Yes," or "That's true." |
| つるつるいっぱい | used when a cup is very full, almost overflowing | |
| もつけねー | かわいそう | "That's too bad." |
| てきねー | きぶんがわるい | "I don't feel good." |
| ぎょうさん | たくさん | many |
| おおきに | ありがとう | "Thank you." |
| きんの | きのう | yesterday |
| ものごい or えらい | つらい | painful |
| ねまる | すわる | sit down |
| おぞい | ふるい or よくない | old, or not good |
| じゃみじゃみ | すなあらし | TV static (onomatopoeia) |
| てなわん | いじわるい or やんちゃな | naughty or mischievous |
| えん | いない | is not (people or animals only) |
| もたもた | ぐずぐず | slowly |
| よさり | よる | night |
| なげる | すてる | throw away |
| おとましい | もったいない | wasteful |
Ishikawa
The dialects of Ishikawa Prefecture are , spoken in the southern part, and the , spoken in the northern part. Kaga-ben has the spoken in KanazawaKanazawa, Ishikawa
is the capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan.-Geography, climate, and population:Kanazawa sits on the Sea of Japan, bordered by the Japan Alps, Hakusan National Park and Noto Peninsula National Park. The city sits between the Sai and Asano rivers. Its total area is 467.77 km².Kanazawa's...
and the , also spoken in Shiramine
Shiramine, Ishikawa
Shiramine was a village located in Ishikawa District, Ishikawa, Japan.On February 1, 2005 Shiramine was merged with the towns of Mikawa and Tsurugi, and the villages of Kawachi, Oguchi, Torigoe and Yoshinodani, all from Ishikawa District, and the city of Mattō to create the new city of Hakusan and...
, a village at the foot of Mount Haku
Mount Haku
, or Mount Hakusan, is a potentially active volcano. The stratovolcano is located on the borders of Gifu, Fukui and Ishikawa prefectures in Japan. It is thought to have first been active 300,000 to 400,000 years ago, with the most recent eruption occurring in 1659...
. Kanazawa is a capital of Ishikawa, so Kanazawa-ben is a influential dialect.
The most famous phrase in Kanazawa-ben is the soft imperative suffix -masshi (～まっし), meaning -nasai (～なさい) in standard Japanese. This phrase is often used in catch phrases for visitors of Kanazawa, for example, Kimasshi Kanazawa! (来まっし、金沢! Come to Kanazawa!).
Recent works on Kanazawa-ben
- Savage, Colin (2009). 金沢弁の本 - The Dialect of Kanazawa. London (UK) and Los Angeles (USA): Lulu Publishing Inc.
Toyama
The dialects of Toyama is called or and consists of West (Gosei, 呉西), East (Gotō, 呉東) and GokayamaGokayama
Gokayama is a village within the city of Nanto in Toyama Prefecture. Its very traditional gasshō-zukuri style homes make it a nearly unique site, and is regarded a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the village of Shirakawa-gō in the Gifu Prefecture...
.
Instead of the colloquial shitte iru ka? (知っているか？ Do you know?), speakers of the Toyama-ben will ask, shittokke? (知っとっけ？).
When expressing that something is incorrect, instead of saying the standard phrase iie (いいえ), users of the dialect will say naan (なあん), with a rising tone.
Other regional distinctions include words like kitokito (キトキト fresh or delicious) and ikiiki (イキイキ energetic).
Other features :
"kore" (これ "this")/"ka" or "ko", "sore" (それ "that")/"sa" or "so".
Toyama-ben speakers sometimes put "ze" instead of "ne" at the end of the sentence.