Changes in Islandness Seen through the Sea Region Linguistics

Abstract

The boundary between land and island is blurring. This may be attributed to the shortened physical distance and changes in the psychological distance. This study aimed to identify why the boundary that sets apart the island from the land is blurring. In the fast-changing socio-cultural context, the island has often been covered by the media as a place for healing. As a result, the number of tourists in islands has increased, and their psychological and physical distances with the land have become closer through bridges connecting the mainland and island. It can be interpreted that the boundary between the land disappeared as islands became more accessible than before. On that basis, this study aimed to examine how islands have been portrayed in the media and the research trends and identify the changes in “islandness” by analyzing the changes in the language in the island, with a focus on the island of Udo. As a result, this study found that the linguistic landscape, with its multilingual signs and the increase in amenities, has led to a rise in the number of tourists.