Okinawan (Uchinaaguchi/うちなーぐち)

Okinawan is a member of the Ryukuan language family spoken on Okinawa and a number of other Ryūkyū islands, which are known as 南西諸島 (Nansei-shoto) or 'southwest islands' in Japanese. Uchina (うちなー) is the local name for Okinawa (沖縄).

Although it shares a common ancestor and some vocabulary and grammar with Japanese, Okinawan is largely incomprehensible to speakers of Japanese. Okinawan also has a much more complex honorific system than Japanese.

There are four other languages spoken in the Ryukyu islands: Amami (Shimayumusa), Miyako (Myakufutsu), Yaeyama (Yaimamuni) and Yonaguni (Dunangmunui). They are mutually imcomprehensible with each other, with Okinawan and with Japanese. All are highly endangered and are spoken mainly by older people. Young Ryukyuans tend to speak Japanese with Ryukyu accents.

During the reign of king Sho Shin (1477-1526), the Shuri dialect of Okinawan was standardised and was used as the official language of the aristocracy. It was also used as the language of songs and poems from that era.

Okinawan is written either with the Japanese hiragana syllabary or romaji (the Roman alphabet).

Okinawan pronunciation

Northern Okinawan alphabet and pronunciation

Some Okinawan proverbs

Nmarijima nu kutuba wasshii nee kuni n wasshiin.
Forgetting your native tongue means forgetting your native country.

Shinjichi nu ada nayumi.
Kindness will never be wasted in any way.

Tusui ya tatashina mun. Warabee shikashina mun.
The old should be treated with due respect. Children should be treated with gentleness.

Links

Information about Okinawan languages
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okinawan_language
http://www.okinawan-shorinryu.com/okinawa/uchina.html
http://www2.rpa.net/~joeroa/hogen.htm
http://japanfocus.org/products/details/2586

Online Okinawan lessons
http://www.okinawabbtv.com/international/uchinaguchi/byron.html http://www.ling.hawaii.edu/~uhdoc/okinawathree/okn.htm

Okinawan phrases
http://www.cw-fc.com/karate/Okinawan Language Chart.htm

Online Okinawan - Japanese dictionary
http://tama-yuki.daa.jp/dic/dic.cgi