Tosa dialect

TheTosa dialect(Japanese:土佐弁tosa-ben) is a JapaneseShikoku dialectspoken in central and easternKochi Prefecture(formerTosa Province), includingKochi City. The dialect of the Western region of Kochi Prefecture is called the Hata dialect (Japanese:幡多弁hata-ben) and is drastically different from the Central and Eastern dialect.
Shikoku dialects are divided into Western (Tokushima,KagawaandEhime), Southern (Kochi), and also occasionally Southwest (western Kochi and southern Ehime).The Tosa dialect exists in a somewhat unique position due to being historically isolated from other prefectures because of theShikoku Mountains.
Kochi Prefecture dialects are broadly divided into Western and Eastern-Central.
The coastal region fromMurototoToyohas been influenced by the Tokushima Awa dialect and theKinki dialects.
The most notable phonetic traits of the Tosa dialect are as follows:
The Tosa dialect, like English, differentiates between perfect and progressive tenses. Perfect tense uses theRenyōkei(連用形conjunctive) form +chuu,choru, andchou, (ちゅー・ちょる・ちょう) and progressive tense uses theRenyōkei(連用形conjunctive) form +yuu,yoru, andyou(ゆー・よる・よう).
For example, the question 「宿題やった?」(shukudai yatta?Did you do your homework?) can be answered in the following ways without the use of adverbs.
In the case of 「（し）よった」((shi) yottaI was (doing) it) it is the past progressive aspect and for 「（し）ちょった」((shi) chottaI had (done) it) the past perfect aspect. The specification of perfect aspects is one of the characteristics of the dialects of western Japan.
With verbs such as 「死ぬ」(shinuto die) or 「消える」(kieruto disappear/ go out) where the change is instantaneous, the progressive aspect like 「死にゆう」(shiniyū) and 「消えゆう」(kieyū) is used to express the sense of “...is about to...”.In the progressive aspect, the existential verb「ある」(aru to be) expresses a specific duration of time.
Orders can be given using theRenyōkei(連用形conjunctive) form of verbs, which makes for a gentler expression than using theMeireikei(命令形imperative) form. 「や」(ya) is often used,  such as in 「行きや」(ikiyago) and 「見（ー）や」(mi(i)yalook).「-ておーせ・とーせ・とーぜ」(-teōse,tōse, andtōze) are used with subsidiary verbs like the formal「…してください」(shitekudasaiplease do).
In cases such as「行かれん」（ikaren) which in standard Japanese is（行くな）(ikunadon’t go) and 「見られん」(miraren) which means the same as（見るな）(mirunadon’t look) in standard Japanese, theMizenkei(未然形nai stem) form of a verb plus 「れん・られん」(renorraren) is used to indicate prohibition.  This expression is also present in the Awa dialect and theIyo dialect.
Additionally, theRenyōkei(連用形conjunctive) form of a verb can be used to express prohibition, such as in「行きな」(ikinadon’t go) and 「見な」(minadon’t look).This is also present in theKansai dialect.
Expressions like「はれるろー」(harerurō)（晴れるだろう）(harerudarouit will be sunny) and 「たかいろー」(takairō)（高いだろう）(takaidarouit will be expensive) are composed of theShūshikei(終止形dictionary) form of a conjugated word + 「ろー」(rō) and are used to express conjecture.「ろー」(rō) originated as 「らむ」(ramu).Additionally, expressions like 「あっつろー」(atsurō) or（あっただろう）(attadarōwould have had) in Standard Japanese and「たかかっつろー」(takakattsurō) or（高かっただろう）(takattadarōwould have been expensive) in Standard Japanese use theRenyōkei(連用形conjunctive) form of a conjugated word + 「つろー」(tsurō) and express conjecture in the perfect tense.
「-にかーらん」(-nikāran) correlates to 「-らしい」(-rashiiit seems...). It can also be used to express the comparison phrase “it’s like…” (「まるで…のようだ」marude…noyōda).