Ainu Language & the Ainu People
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Historical distribution of the Ainu language (Hokkaido, southern Sakhalin, Kuril Islands, and beyond)
Introduction to the Ainu and Their Language
The Ainu (アィヌ) are the indigenous people of Hokkaido, southern Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, and parts of northern Honshu. Their language, also called Ainu or Ainu itak (“human speech”), is a language isolate — unrelated to Japanese or any other living language.
Today, fewer than 10 native speakers remain, all elderly. The language is considered critically endangered and will likely become dormant within a few years. However, revitalization efforts by Ainu descendants and young learners continue.
Historical Territory and Decline
Until the 19th century, Ainu was spoken across Hokkaido, southern Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, the Kamchatka Peninsula, and possibly northern Honshu. Forced assimilation policies by Japan from the Meiji era onward banned the language, traditional hunting, and cultural practices.
Ainu were resettled, forbidden to speak their language in schools, and encouraged to marry Japanese citizens. By the late 20th century, most Ainu hid their identity to escape discrimination.
Ainu elder, circa 1930
Writing Systems
Ainu traditionally had no writing system. Today it is written in three ways:
- Latin alphabet (most common in Japan)
- Japanese katakana (official use in Japan)
- Cyrillic (used by Sakhalin Ainu in Russia)
Aynu itak
"Ainu language"
Culture, Appearance, and Traditions
The Ainu are descendants of the Jōmon culture. They are anthropologically distinct from the Japanese, often having lighter skin, wavy hair, deep-set eyes, and heavy beards (men). Women traditionally wore mouth tattoos resembling a moustache, applied gradually from childhood.
Ainu woman with traditional mouth tattoo
They practiced animism and the famous iyomante bear ceremony — raising a bear cub for two years before ritually “sending its spirit” back to the gods.
Hear the Ainu Language
Listen to one of the very last fluent native speakers, Mrs. Take Asai (1914–1995), performing a traditional Ainu yukar (epic chant/poem) in the Saru dialect. This recording is a priceless treasure of human heritage:
Recording courtesy of the original uploader – thank you for sharing this gem with the world ❤️
Basic Ainu Phrases
Irankarapte
Hello (lit. “I touch your heart”)
Aynu itak
Ainu language
Ku=ani=ka
Thank you
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