"Japonic languages"의 정의 및 의미

What are "Japonic languages"?

Japonic languages are a small language family primarily represented by Japanese and the Ryukyuan languages, which include Okinawan and other languages spoken in the Ryukyu Islands. Japanese is the most widely spoken language in this family, characterized by its unique writing systems, which include kanji, hiragana, and katakana. Japonic languages exhibit features such as agglutinative grammar, where words are formed by adding various prefixes and suffixes, and a subject-object-verb word order. The study of Japonic languages provides insights into the cultural, historical, and social dynamics of Japan and the Ryukyu Islands, as well as the linguistic relationships within the region.