| Native name | (伊良部島, Irav-zuma) |
|---|---|
| Location | Okinawa Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 24°50′20″N 125°9′56″E |
| Archipelago | Miyako Islands |
| Waterbody | East China Sea |
| Area | 29.06 km² |
| Elevation | 89.0 m |
| Country | Japan |
| Prefecture | Okinawa Prefecture |
| Population | 4,693 |
| Population as of | 2015 national census |
| Ethnic groups | Ryukyuan, Japanese |
Irabu Island (伊良部島, Miyako: Irav-zuma), is an island in Miyakojima City, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The island is connected to Miyako Island by a 3,540-metre (11,610-foot) bridge Irabu Ohashi (伊良部大橋),[1] which was completed in January 2015.[2] Irabu Island is also connected via six bridges to Shimoji-shima.[1] There are multiple language variants spoken on the island: Nakachi-Irabu, Kuninaka, Sawada-Nagahama, and Sarahama (which is a variant of Ikema language spoken by descendants of emigrants from Ikema Island).[3]
Etymology
The term comes from the Japanization of the Miyakoan name Irav, in turn from Proto-Ryukyuan *erabu (tone class B). Cognates in other Ryukyuan languages include Okinoerabu irabu, referring to Okinoerabujima.[4]
See also
References
- ^ "Remote island related materials (離 島 関 係 資 料)". Archived 2020-02-15 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-02-15.
- ^ "伊良部島", Retrieved on 13 January 2018.
- ^ Heinrich, Patrick; Miyara, Shinsho; Shimoji, Michinori (Feb 17, 2015). Handbook of the Ryukyuan Languages: History, Structure, and Use. Walter de Gruyter. pp. 405–406. ISBN 9781614511151.
- ^ National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics. "語彙詳細 - 日本の危機言語 (Detailed vocabulary - Endangered Languages of Japan)" (in Japanese). Retrieved 20 March 2024.