Okinawan_language Okinawan_language

Okinawan language - Definition and Overview

Okinawan (Okinawan Uchinaaguchi) is a Ryukyuan language spoken in Japan on the southern island of Okinawa, 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 three main dialects: Northern (Kunigami dialect of Kunigami), Central (Standard, Shuri-Naha), and Southern. The Shuri dialect was standardized during the era of the Ryukyuan Kingdom, during the reign of King Sho 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.

Hiragana for Okinawan

When written in the Japanese syllabary Hiragana, the sound values are not the same as their regular Japanese values:

  • え⇒I
  • お⇒U
  • け⇒KI
  • こ⇒KU
  • せ⇒SI
  • そ⇒SU
  • て⇒TI
  • と⇒TU
  • ね⇒NI
  • の⇒NU
  • へ⇒HI
  • ほ⇒HU
  • め⇒MI
  • も⇒MU
  • よ⇒YU
  • れ⇒RI
  • ろ⇒RU
  • ゑ⇒WI
  • を⇒WU
  • げ⇒GI
  • ご⇒GU
  • ぜ⇒ZI
  • ぞ⇒ZU
  • で⇒DI
  • ど⇒DU
  • べ⇒BI
  • ぺ⇒PI
  • ぼ⇒BU
  • ぽ⇒PU
  • あい⇒EE
  • あう⇒OO
  • かい⇒KEE
  • かう⇒KOO
  • さい⇒SEE
  • さう⇒SOO
  • たい⇒TEE
  • たう⇒TOO
  • ない⇒NEE
  • なう⇒NOO
  • はい⇒HEE
  • はう⇒HOO
  • まい⇒MEE
  • まう⇒MOO
  • やい⇒YEE
  • やう⇒YOO
  • らい⇒REE
  • らう⇒ROO
  • わい⇒WEE
  • わう⇒WOO
  • がい⇒GEE
  • がう⇒GOO
  • ざい⇒ZEE
  • ざう⇒ZOO
  • だい⇒DEE
  • だう⇒DOO
  • ばい⇒BEE
  • ぱい⇒PEE
  • ばう⇒BOO
  • ぱう⇒POO
  • くわ⇒KWA
  • くい⇒KWI
  • くゐ⇒KWI
  • くえ⇒KWI
  • くゑ⇒KWI
  • くわい⇒KWEE
  • くあい⇒KWEE
  • ぐわ⇒GWA
  • ぐい⇒GWI
  • ぐゐ⇒GWI
  • ぐえ⇒GWI
  • ぐゑ⇒GWI
  • ぐわい⇒GWEE
  • ぐあい⇒GWEE

etc.

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