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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]
This system was devised by Okinawa Center of Language Study, a section of University of the Ryukyus. Unlike others, this method is intended purely as a phonetic guidance, and basically only uses katakana. For the sake of an easier comparison, corresponding hiragana are used in this article.
The name Uchinaa Yamatu-guchi is composed of Uchinaa meaning "Okinawa", Yamatu referring to mainland Japan, and the suffix -guchi approximately meaning "language." [ 1 ] Okinawan Japanese's pronunciation and words are influenced by the Northern Ryukyuan Okinawan and Kunigami languages spoken on the islands.
In their indigenous language they often call themselves and their identity as Uchinānchu. [ 23 ] [ 24 ] Another endonym is Shimanchu ( 島人 ). [ 25 ] These terms are rarely used outside of the ethnic community, and are politicized markers of a distinct culture.
Kunigami or Northern Okinawan (山原言葉, ヤンバルクトゥーバ, Yanbaru Kutūba) is a Ryukyuan language of Northern Okinawa Island in Kunigami District and city of Nago, otherwise known as the Yanbaru region, historically the territory of the kingdom of Hokuzan.
Moriyama and Begin met after performing at live events together in the late 1990s. Moriyama asked Begin to write her an Okinawan-style song. The song's title on the demo tape she received was "Nada Sōsō," an Okinawan language phrase meaning "large tears are falling" (to compare, the Japanese phrase would be namida ga poroporo kobore ochiru (涙がぽろぽろこぼれ落ちる)).
Nakamura Teruaki is a boy from Tokyo who gets transferred to Okinawa as a student. Here he meets, and develops a crush on, his new classmate, Kyan Hina. Trouble is, he has problems talking to her because she speaks in high-level Okinawan (Uchinaaguchi). He would not understand her at all if not for another classmate of his, Hina's friend Higa ...
Just like how language is 口 mouth and nation is 島 island in Standard Japanese. In Japanese, 口 kuchi would refer to things relating to the mouth, but in Okinawan, 沖縄口 Uchinaaguchi means " Okinawan language "; 山 yama is also found in various Okinawan location names that relate to forests or woodland.