Japanese
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A language of Japan
127,000,000 in Japan (2010). Total users in all countries: 128,350,830 (as L1: 128,229,330; as L2: 121,500).
Widespread.
1 (National). De facto national language.
Eastern Japanese, Western Japanese, Zu-zu-ben. Possibly related to Korean [kor]. Kagoshima dialect is 84% cognate with Tokyo dialect. Zu-zu-ben dialects unintelligible to other Japanese, and dying out as standard Tokyo Japanese takes over.
SOV; postpositions; demonstrative, numeral, adjective, possessive, relative clause, proper noun precedes noun head; adverb precedes verb; sentence final question particle; no articles; passives; tense and aspect; causatives; 15 consonants, 5 vowels, 3 diphthongs; non-tonal; pitch-accentuation pattern.
Taught in primary and secondary schools. Fully developed. Bible: 1883–2018.
Buddhist, Shintoist.