Kikai language

[3] Lawrence (2011) argued that lexical evidence supported the Kikai cluster although he refrained from determining its phylogenetic relationship with other Amami dialects.

Based on the irregular sound change *kaja>gja for thatch, he grouped Tokunoshima, Okinoerabu, and Yoron into a clade, and treated Amami Ōshima, Kikai, and the resultant clade as the primary branches of Amami.

Despite being a small, flat island, Kikai shows considerable variations in lexicon, phonology and morphology.

The northern communities of Onotsu, Shitooke (and Sateku) are phonologically more conservative than the rest of the island.

[6] As with most Ryukyuan languages to the north of Central Okinawan, stops are described as "plain" C’ and "glottalized" C‘.