Leon Serafim
Encyclopedia
Leon Angelo Serafim is an American
academic. He is a Japanologist, linguistic historian and professor at the University of Hawaii
.
The widely accepted linguistics term "Japonic languages
" was coined by Serafim to identify and characterise the Japanese
which is spoken on the main islands of Japan and the Ryukyuan
spoken on the island of Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands
.
in 1968, he was awarded a B.A. in Oriental Languages. After further study at the University of Hawaii
, he earned a Master's degree in East Asian Languages in 1976. His Ph.D. in Linguistics was conferred by Yale University
in 1984.
Seratim was the founding Director of the Center for Okinawan Studies. His on-going research investigates the relationship of changes in language, culture, and demography of the Ryukyus.
/WorldCat
encompasses roughly 6 works in 10+ publications in 2 languages and 100 library holdings.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
academic. He is a Japanologist, linguistic historian and professor at the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
.
The widely accepted linguistics term "Japonic languages
Japonic languages
Japonic languages is a term which identifies and characterises the Japanese which is spoken on the main islands of Japan and the Ryukyuan languages spoken in the Ryukyu Islands. This widely accepted linguistics term was coined by Leon Serafim....
" was coined by Serafim to identify and characterise the Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
which is spoken on the main islands of Japan and the Ryukyuan
Ryukyuan languages
The Ryukyuan languages are spoken in the Ryukyu Islands, and make up a subgroup of the Japonic, itself controversially a subgroup of Altaic....
spoken on the island of Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands
Ryukyu Islands
The , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin...
.
Early life
At the end of Serafim's studies at the University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
in 1968, he was awarded a B.A. in Oriental Languages. After further study at the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
, he earned a Master's degree in East Asian Languages in 1976. His Ph.D. in Linguistics was conferred by Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1984.
Career
Serafim is a member of faculty of the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures at the University of Hawaii. He is associated with the university's Centers for Japanese Studies.Seratim was the founding Director of the Center for Okinawan Studies. His on-going research investigates the relationship of changes in language, culture, and demography of the Ryukyus.
Selected works
In a statistical overview derived from writings by and about Leon Serafim, OCLCOCLC
OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. is "a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world’s information and reducing information costs"...
/WorldCat
WorldCat
WorldCat is a union catalog which itemizes the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries and territories which participate in the Online Computer Library Center global cooperative...
encompasses roughly 6 works in 10+ publications in 2 languages and 100 library holdings.
- Shodon: the Prehistory of a Northern Ryukyuan Dialect of Japanese (1884)
- Early Japanese Vocalism and Vowel Concord (1976)