Ibaraki dialect

The Ibaraki dialect (Shinjitai: 茨城弁, Kyujitai: 茨城辯 Ibaraki-ben) is a Japanese dialect spoken in Ibaraki Prefecture.

Ibaraki-ben is characterized by "dakuten" insertion, affecting a voiced syllable. For example, byōki (病気 illness) becomes something like "byōgi". By contraries, "g" sometimes becomes "k" and "b" sometimes becomes "p". For example, "yugata"(夕方 evening) is pronunciated as "yukada" and "zabuton"(座布団cushion) is pronunciated as "zapton" by some speakers. Another characteristic of the dialect in many areas is a decreased distinction between "i" and "e" sounds, so that iro enpitsu (色鉛筆 colored pencil) becomes ero inpitsu among many speakers.

The final particles -ppe, -be, and -he are perhaps the best-known. They derive from literary beshi (now beki in standard Japanese). The pitch accent of the Ibaraki dialect is also fairly different from standard Japanese, typically rising at the end of statements and falling in questions.

References