The Linguistic Prehistory of Japan: Some Archaeological Speculations

Abstract

This paper applies recent archaeological thinking on language dispersal and replacement to Japanese. Based on the principles summarized by Renfrew (1992a), I argue that the Japanese language spread from Kyushu with agricultural colonization in the Yayoi period (ca. 400 B.C.-A.D. 250). Some supporting linguistic evidence for this model is provided by the distribution of Japanese dialects within the archipelago. If correct, the model would seem to rule out any significant process of creolization in the formation of Japanese. Although the continental origins of Japanese are still unclear, the model may also provide linguistic support for the theory of Yayoi immigration espoused by many biological anthropologists.