Question: Which Northern Ryukyuan language is most closely related to the Ryukyuan language with fewer speakers than Okinawan but more than Yaeyama ?

text: Ryukyuan languages
Classification and varieties
The Ryukyuan languages belong to the Japonic language family , related to the Japanese language . [ 3 ] [ 4 ] The Ryukyuan languages are not mutually intelligible with Japanese—in fact , they are not even mutually intelligible with each other—and thus are usually considered separate languages . [ 3 ] However , for socio-political and ideological reasons , they have often classified within Japan as dialects of Japanese . [ 3 ] Since the beginning of World War II , most mainland Japanese have regarded the Ryukyuan languages as a dialect or group of dialects of Japanese . During World War II , in an effort to build consciousness in people as subjects of the Japanese Empire , not only the Ryukyuan group , but also Korean , Palauan and various other languages were referred to as dialects of Japanese . [ 5 ] The Okinawan language is only 71% lexically similar to , or cognate with , standard Tokyo Japanese . Even the southernmost Japanese dialect ( Kagoshima dialect ) is only 72% cognate with the northernmost Ryukyuan language ( Amami ) . The Kagoshima dialect of Japanese , however , is 80% lexically similar to Standard Japanese . [ 6 ] There is general agreement among linguistics experts that Ryukyuan varieties can be divided into six languages , conservatively , [ 7 ] with dialects unique to islands within each group also sometimes considered languages . A widely accepted hypothesis among linguists categorizes the Ryukyuan languages into two groups , Northern Ryukyuan ( Amami–Okinawa ) and Southern Ryukyuan ( Miyako–Yaeyama ) . [ 4 ] [ 8 ] Many speakers of the Amami , Miyako , Yaeyama and Yonaguni languages may also be familiar with Okinawan since Okinawan has the most speakers and once acted as the regional standard . Speakers of Yonaguni are also likely to know the Yaeyama language due to its proximity . Since Amami , Miyako , Yaeyama , and Yonaguni are less urbanised than the Okinawan mainland , their languages are not declining as quickly as that of Okinawa proper , and some children continue to be brought up in these languages . In Okinawa proper , a dialect of standard Japanese known as Okinawan Japanese ( ウチナーヤマトゥグチ , Uchinā Yamatuguchi ) has developed . [ 9 ] Northern Ryukyuan languages Amami Kikai Amami Ōshima Northern Southern Tokunoshima Kunigami Okinoerabu Yoron Kunigami Okinawan Southern Ryukyuan languages Miyakoan Central Miyako Irabu Tarama Yaeyama Yonaguni
The Ryukyuan languages (琉球語派, Ryūkyū-goha, also 琉球諸語, Ryūkyū-shogo or 島言葉, Shima kotoba, lit. Island Speech) are the indigenous languages of the Ryukyu Islands, the southernmost part of the Japanese archipelago. Along with the Japanese language, they make up the Japonic language family. The languages are not mutually intelligible with each other. It is not known how many speakers of these languages remain, but language shift towards the use of Standard Japanese and dialects like Okinawan Japanese has resulted in these languages becoming endangered; UNESCO labels four of the languages definitely endangered and two others severely endangered.
Language Local name Geographic distribution Speakers Standard dialect ISO 639-3
Kikai Shimayumita ( しまゆみた ) Kikaijima 13,000 N/A kzg
Amami Shimayumuta ( 島口 / シマユムタ ) Amami Ōshima and surrounding minor islands 12,000 Setouchi , Naze ams , ryn
Tokunoshima Shimayumiita ( シマユミィタ ) Tokunoshima 5,100 Tokunoshima tkn
Okinoerabu Shimamuni ( 島ムニ ) Okinoerabujima 3,200 N/A okn
Yoron Yunnu Futuba ( ユンヌフトゥバ ) Yoronjima 950 Yoron yox
Kunigami Yanbaru Kutūba ( 山原言葉 / ヤンバルクトゥーバ ) Northern Okinawa Island ( Yanbaru region ) , and surrounding minor islands 5,000 Largest community is Nago xug
Okinawan Uchināguchi ( 沖縄口 / ウチナーグチ ) Central and southern Okinawa Island and surrounding minor islands 980,000 Traditionally Shuri , modern Naha ryu
Miyako Myākufutsu ( 宮古口 / ミャークフツ ) Sumafutsu ( 島口 / スマフツ ) Miyako Islands 68,000 Hirara mvi
Yaeyama Yaimamuni ( 八重山物言 / ヤイマムニ ) Yaeyama Islands ( except Yonaguni ) 47,600 Ishigaki rys
Yonaguni Dunan Munui ( 与那国物言 / ドゥナンムヌイ ) Yonaguni Island 400 Yonaguni yoi