Abstract This paper examines the nature and behavior of secondary H(igh) tones in Koshikijima Japanese, a highly endangered dialect spoken on three small, remote islands in the south of Japan. This dialect generally has a mora-counting prosodic system with two distinctive accent types/classes (Type A and Type B), and displays two H tones, primary and secondary, in words of three or more moras: The primary H tone appears on the penultimate and final moras in Type A and Type B, respectively, whereas the secondary H tone occurs at the beginning of the word redundantly. Koshikijima Japanese displays regional variations with respect to the secondary H tone, particularly regarding its domain/position, its (in)dependence on the primary H tone, its interaction with the syllable, and its behavior in postlexical phonology. This paper examines how the secondary H tone behaves differently in three distinct accent systems of the dialect: (i) the system described by Takaji Kamimura eighty years ago, (ii) the one that is found quite extensively on the islands today, including Kamimura’s native village (Nakakoshiki) and Teuchi Village, and (iii) the system observed in Kuwanoura Village today. Comparing the three accent systems, this paper also proposes historical scenarios to account for the different behaviors of the secondary H tone across time and space.

中文翻译：

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高志岛日语中的高音

摘要本文考察了日本南部三个偏远小岛上的一种濒临灭绝的方言高越岛日语中的次要H（igh）音的性质和行为。该方言通常具有一个带有两种不同重音类型/类别（A型和B型）的变音计数韵律系统，并以三个或三个以上的音调显示两个H音，主要和次要音调：主要H音出现在在类型A和类型B中分别倒数第二个和最后一个词组，而次要H音则多余地出现在单词的开头。Koshikijima日语在次要H音调方面表现出区域差异，尤其是在其域/位置，对主要H音调的依赖性，与音节的交互以及其在词后音系中的行为方面。本文研究了第二种H音在方言的三种不同重音系统中的表现方式不同：（i）高村隆司八十年前所描述的系统，（ii）如今在各岛上广泛存在的一种系统，包括神村县人村（Nakakoshiki）和Teuchi村，以及（iii）今天在Kuwanoura村中观察到的系统。比较这三种重音系统，本文还提出了历史情景，以说明次级H音在时间和空间上的不同行为。（iii）今天在Kuwanoura村所观察到的系统。比较这三种口音系统，本文还提出了历史情景，以说明次级H音在时间和空间上的不同行为。（iii）今天在Kuwanoura村所观察到的系统。比较这三种重音系统，本文还提出了历史情景，以说明次级H音在时间和空间上的不同行为。