Kansai Dialect - Regional Differences

Regional Differences

Since Kansai-ben is actually a group of related dialects, not all share the same vocabulary, pronunciation, or grammatical features. However, all have the characteristics described in the discussion of general differences above. Each dialect has its own specific features discussed individually here.

• Kyoto dialect (southern Kyoto Prefecture, especially the city of Kyoto)
  • Gosho dialect (old court dialect of Kyoto Gosho)
  • Muromachi dialect (old merchant dialect in central area of the city of Kyoto)
  • Gion dialect (geiko dialect of Gion)
• Osaka dialect (Osaka Prefecture, especially the city of Osaka)
  • Semba dialect (old merchant dialect in the central area of the city of Osaka)
  • Kawachi dialect (eastern Osaka Prefecture, formerly known as Kawachi Province)
  • Senshū dialect (southwestern Osaka Prefecture, formerly known as Izumi Province)
• Kobe dialect (Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture)
• Banshū dialect (southwestern Hyōgo Prefecture, formerly known as Harima Province)
• Tamba dialect (middle part of Kyoto Prefecture, and mid-eastern Hyōgo Prefecture, formerly known as Tamba Province)
  • Maizuru dialect (Maizuru, Kyoto Prefecture)
• Shiga dialect or Ōmi dialect or Gōshū dialect (Shiga Prefecture, formerly known as Ōmi Province)
  • Kohoku dialect (northeastern Shiga Prefecture)
• Nara dialect or Yamato dialect (Nara Prefecture, especially northern half of the Prefecture)
• Totsukawa-Kumano dialect (southern Yoshino and Kumano Region in southeastern Kii Peninsula)
• Wakayama dialect or Kishū dialect (Wakayama Prefecture and southern Mie Prefecture, formerly known as Kii Province)
• Mie dialect (mainly Mie Prefecture)
  • Ise dialect (mid-northern Mie Prefecture, formerly known as Ise Province)
  • Shima dialect (eastern Mie Prefecture, formerly known as Shima Province)
  • Iga dialect (western Mie Prefecture, formerly known as Iga Province)
• Wakasa dialect (southern Fukui Prefecture, formerly known as Wakasa Province)