Okinawan language

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Okinawan (Uchināguchi: 沖縄口; Japanese: ウチナーグチ, IPA: ucināguci) is a Ryukyuan language spoken in Japan on the southern island of Okinawa^[1], as well as the surrounding islands of Kerama, Kume-jima, Tonaki, Aguni, and a number of smaller islands located to the east of the main island of Okinawa.

It is divided into two main groups: Central (Standard, Shuri-Naha) and Southern. The Shuri dialect was standardized during the era of the Ryukyu Kingdom, during the reign of King Shō Shin (1477-1526). It was the official language used by royalty and aristocracy. All of the songs and poems in the language from that era are written in the Shuri dialect.

The speech of Northern Okinawa is usually considered a separate language; see Kunigami language.

[edit] Phonology

[edit] Vowels

Okinawan has three short vowels, /a i u/, and five long vowels, /aː eː iː oː uː/. Note that /u/ is rounded, unlike in Japanese.

[edit] Consonants

[edit] Syllabary

(Technically, these are morae, not syllables.)

[edit] Correspondences with Japanese

[edit] Grammar

Okinawan dialects retain a number of old grammatical features, such as a distinction between the terminal form (終止形) and the attributive form (連体形), the genitive function of が ga (lost in the Shuri dialect), the nominative function of ぬ nu (Japanese: の no), as well as honorific/plain distribution of ga and nu in nominative use.

One etymology given for the -un and -uru endings is the continuative form suffixed with uri (Classical Japanese: 居り wori, to be; to exist): -un developed from the terminal form uri; -uru developed from the attributive form uru, i.e:

• kacuru derives from kaci-uru;
• kacun derives from kaci-uri; and
• yumun (Japanese: 読む yomu, to read) derives from yumi + uri.

A similar etymology is given for the terminal -san and attributive -saru endings for adjectives: the stem suffixed with さ sa (nominalises adjectives, i.e. high → height, hot → heat), suffixed with ari (Classical Japanese: 有り ari, to exist; to have), i.e:

• takasan (Japanese: 高い takai, high; tall) derives from taka-sa-ari;
• atsusan (Japanese: 暑い atsui, hot; warm) derives from atsu-sa-ari; and
• yutasaru (good; pleasant) derives from yuta-sa-aru.

[edit] See also

• Okinawan writing system

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] Japanese

• 平山輝男編著　『全国方言辞典〔１〕: 県別方言の特色』　角川書店、1983年（昭和58年）

[edit] External links

[edit] English

• Ethnologue report on Kunigami
• Ethnologue report on Central Okinawan
• Arakaki, Tomoko: Aspect and Modality in Luchuan (PostScript file)

[edit] Japanese

• Basic Ryukyuan language
• Ryukyuan dictionary, with spoken examples.
• Nakasone Seizen manuscripts (mostly on the Nakijin dialect)
• A Shuri-Naha orthography and phonology

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