Nambu-ben

The Nanbu (or Nambu) dialect (Japanese: 南部弁 nanbu-ben) is a Japanese dialect spoken in an area corresponding to the former domains of Morioka and Hachinohe in northern Tohoku, governed by the Nanbu clan during the Edo period. It is classified as a Northern Tohoku dialect of the wider Tohoku dialect group. The Nanbu dialect is spoken across an expansive area covering the eastern half of Aomori Prefecture, the northern and central parts of Iwate Prefecture and the northwestern corner of Akita Prefecture. There is considerable regional variation, owed to factors such as varying degrees of contact with other areas per region, usually dictated by natural barriers and proximity to busy ports. On account of its widespread area, definitions of the ‘Nanbu dialect’ can vary depending on prefecture and speaker, with narrower definitions referring only to the local variety as opposed to the dialect as a whole. As a former territory of the Tsugaru clan, the western half of Aomori is home to the Tsugaru dialect, a separate variety to the Nanbu dialect. The remainder of the prefecture was a part of the domains of Morioka and Hachinohe, ruled by the Nanbu clan. This division (between Tsugaru and Nanbu) forms the broadest demarcation of dialects in Aomori Prefecture. There are three sub-dialects of the Nanbu dialect in Aomori, based on former district boundaries. These include: The Shimokita dialect, spoken in the former Shimokita District. The Kamikita dialect, spoken in the former Kamikita District. The Sanpachi dialect, spoken in the former San'nohe District. Of these, the Shimokita dialect is the most individually distinct, sometimes being classified separately and thus narrowing the definition of the ‘Nanbu dialect’ to just the Kamikita and Sanpachi dialects. Whilst being foundationally Nanbu in most aspects, frequent contact with other regions as a result of shipping in the Mutsu Bay has left elements of the Tsugaru and Hokkaido dialects in its vocabulary, phonology, etc.