JAPANESE: a language of Japan

The following is the entry for this language as it appeared in the 14th edition (2000).
It was superseded by the corresponding entry in the 15th edition (2005). See also the corresponding entry in the current edition of Ethnologue.

SIL code: JPN

ISO 639-1: ja

ISO 639-2: jpn

Population	121,050,000 in Japan (1985). Population total all countries 125,000,000 first language speakers (1999 WA); 126,000,000 including second language speakers (1999 WA).
Region	Throughout the country. Also spoken in 26 other countries including American Samoa, Argentina, Australia, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, Germany, Guam, Mexico, Micronesia, Mongolia, New Zealand, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines.
Dialects	WESTERN JAPANESE, EASTERN JAPANESE.
Classification	Japanese, Japanese.
Comments	Possibly related to Korean. The Kagoshima dialect is 84% cognate with Tokyo dialect. National language. Grammar. SOV; postpositions; demonstrative, numeral, adjective, possessive, relative clause, proper noun precede noun head; adverb precedes verb; sentence final question particle; CV. Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji (Chinese character) writing systems. Buddhist, Shintoist. Bible 1883-1987.

Also spoken in:

Taiwan

Language name	JAPANESE
Population	10,000 in Taiwan (1993).
Comments	Used among a few elderly aboriginal speakers and some Chinese as second language. Trade language. Bible 1883-1987. See main entry under Japan.