On The Eight Day of Fun I present... something new! Happy New Year Everyone! We're starting off with something that's been requested multiple times over the past year (and I hinted at that I would do during TTDOF) ^^
Lesson 1: What is KyΕben?
KyΕben (δΊ¬εΌ) is the dialect spoken by natives of Kyoto, and is a relative of Osakaben (ε€§ιͺεΌ), spoken in neighboring Osaka, which is part of the larger Kansaiben (ι’θ₯ΏεΌ). These are dialects spoken in Western Japan and have been explained to me as sounding like something a cowboy would say when heard by someone from the Tokyo/Kanto area.
However, KyΕben is the most refined of these dialects as it was once also used by the nobility who used to live in Kyoto when it was the imperial capital. Unlike sounding like a cowboy, KyΕben sounds like someone whispering due to its soft sounds. This isn't to say that one can't shout when speaking KyΕben, but that the words use softer pronunciations of certain hiragana and kanji. As an example:
Sumimasen (γγΏγΎγγ - "Excuse Me") becomes Sumimahen (γγΏγΎγΈγ)
The harsher "S" is removed for the softer "H" that also manages to take the bluntness off the "N" at the end too. Words that end in -Nai (γͺγ - Negative Modifier) also transform into -Hen with KyΕben.
Another change of letters comes in the case of ending sentences. Where one would usually say -Desu (γ§γ), KyΕben says -Dosu (γ©γ).
The most famous/used word in the KyΕben dialect is, of course, Ookini (γγγγ«). Instead of just meaning "Hello" or "How Are You?," it more accurately means "I Am Under Your Care/Guidance." This is why ookini is always said while making eye contract with another person and a small bow of respect ^^