Status
There is no census data for the Ryukyuan languages, and the number of speakers is unknown. As of 2005, the total population of the Ryukyu region was 1,452,288, but fluent speakers are restricted to the older generation, generally in their 50's or older, and thus the true number of Ryukyuan speakers should be much lower.
Today, the number of children still being brought up with the Ryukyuan languages is becoming increasingly rare throughout the islands, and usually only occurs when the children are living with their grandparents. The Ryukyuan languages are still used in traditional cultural activities, such as folk music, folk dance, poem and folk plays. There is also a radio news program in the Naha dialect since 1960.
In Okinawa, people under the age of 40 have little proficiency in the native Okinawan language. A new mixed language, based on Japanese and Okinawan, has developed, known as ウチナーヤマトゥグチ (Uchinaa Yamatuguchi "Okinawan Japanese"). Although it has been largely ignored by linguists and language activists, this is the language of choice among the younger generation.
Similarly, the common language now used in everyday conversations in the Amami Ōshima is not the traditional Amami language, but rather a regional variation of Amami-accented Japanese, locally nicknamed トン普通語 (Ton Futsūgo, literally meaning "common potato language") by older speakers.
Read more about this topic: Ryukyuan Languages
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