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Okinawan (沖縄口, ウチナーグチ, Uchināguchi, [ʔut͡ɕinaːɡut͡ɕi]), or more precisely Central Okinawan, is a Northern Ryukyuan language spoken primarily in the southern half of the island of Okinawa, as well as in the surrounding islands of Kerama, Kumejima, Tonaki, Aguni and a number of smaller peripheral islands. [3]
Circa 2007, in Okinawa, people under the age of 40 have little proficiency in the native Okinawan language. [13] A new mixed language, based on Japanese and Okinawan, has developed, known as "Okinawan Japanese". Although it has been largely ignored by linguists and language activists, this is the language of choice among the younger generation ...
"Ryukyu" is an other name from the Chinese side, and "Okinawa" is a Japanese cognate of Okinawa's indigenous name "Uchinā", originating from the residents of the main island referring to the main island against the surrounding islands, Miyako and Yaeyama. [27] Mainland Japanese adapted Okinawa as the way to call these people. [citation needed]
The Northern Ryukyuan languages, also known as the Amami–Okinawan languages, are a group of languages spoken in the Amami Islands, Kagoshima Prefecture and the Okinawa Islands, Okinawa Prefecture of southwestern Japan.
The Okinawan language, called Uchināguchi, is spoken by adults only, [25] but several local groups promote the use of the Okinawan language by younger people. [ 26 ] Whereas the northern half of Okinawa Island is sparsely populated, the south-central and southern parts of the island are markedly urbanized —particularly the city of Naha and ...
The Ryukyu Kingdom (1372–1879) on Okinawa Island used various writing conventions, all of which were markedly different from spoken registers. A unique feature of Ryūkyū's writing conventions is that in the Old Ryūkyū period (?–1609), it developed a predominantly kana writing convention that was based on sōrō-style Written Japanese but exhibited heavy Okinawan influence.
Byron Fija (Okinawan: 比嘉 光龍, Fija Bairon; born 1 September 1969 in Naha) is an Okinawan linguist who practices Okinawan language and activist.. He is a radio and TV personality well known in his homeland Okinawa as a knowledgeable scholar, teacher and skilled practitioner of the endangered Okinawan languages.
The Omoro Sōshi (おもろさうし, Okinawan: Umuru U-Sōshi, [1] Northern Ryukyuan: おもろおさうし Omoro O-Saushi) is a compilation of ancient poems and songs from Okinawa and the Amami Islands, collected into 22 volumes and written primarily in hiragana with some simple kanji. There are 1,553 poems in the collection, but many are ...