, is an island in Miyakojima City, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The island is connected to Miyako Island by a bridge , which was completed in January 2015."伊良部島", Retrieved on 13 January 2018. Irabu Island is also connected via six bridges to Shimoji-shima. There are multiple language variants spoken on the island: Nakachi-Irabu, Kuninaka, Sawada-Nagahama, and Sarahama (which is a variant of Ikema language spoken by descendants of emigrants from Ikema Island).
Etymology The term comes from the Japanization of the Miyakoan name Irav, in turn from Proto-Ryukyuan *erabu (tone class B). Cognates in other Ryukyuan languages include Okinoerabu irabu, referring to Okinoerabujima.
Climate
See also
Shimoji Island Ikema Island Miyako Island
References