The Okinawa Language of Hogan

     The language of Okinawa belongs to the Japanese-Ryukyuan language family which extends from Hokkaido in northern Japan to Yonaguni (about 73 m. off the coast of Taiwan) in the southern Ryukyus. It is estimated that the time of separation of the Shuri (Okinawa) and Kyoto (Japan) dialects was sometime between the beginning of the sixth century and the middle of the twelfth century, the Ryukyuan language is identified as an independent language due to its remote relationships in morphological, phonological, and lexical aspects.

     Within the Ryukyuan language (extending from Amami Oshima to Yonaguni), the Okinawan language itself is comprised of many different dialects and sub-dialects from village to village. The Shuri dialect was standardized under the Ryukyuan kingdom central administration established by King Sho Shin (1477-1526). It was the official language used in conversation by the aristocratic class of Shuri castle. Most Okinawan songs and poems were composed in the Shuri dialect.

     The Shuri dialect is characterized by complexity of honorific markers which differentiate class, sex, and age. A diversity of respect forms was strictly adhered to among the three social classes of aristocracy, gentry, and commoners; between male and female; and also between different age groups. The appropriate respect forms had to be used not only when two speakers were from the same class, same sex, and even to the same age when the hierarchical distinction only related to the month of birth. When two speakers were of completely different status, conversational usage was extremely complex.

     The phonological characteristics of the Shuri dialect as compared to standard Japanese are mainly the vowel changes of the e to i and o to u. For example, the word for rain is pronounced ame in Japanese while it is pronounced ami in Shuri. In the same manner, the word for cloud is pronounced kumo in Japanese while it is pronounced kumu in Shuri. Some differences between Japanese and Shuri dialect also exist in consonants. There is also a very distinct difference in the language between the northern and southern Okinawa for instance in the southern area Ipae maasan do. (Tastes very good!), in the northern area they generally say Ipae maahan do.

• Ukimi soo chii. - Good morning. (Early morning)
• Chaabira sai. - May I come in? Pardon me. (Used when entering a home)
• Mensooree. - Welcome, please come in.
• Hajimiti uganabira. - I'm glad to meet you.
• Uchinaa-guchi wakai miseemi? - Do you understand Okinawan?
• Uu, ufee wakai biin. - Yes, I understand a little.
• Nifee deebiru. - Thank you.
• Guburii sabira. - I would like to be excused.
• Chaa ganjuu yaibiimi tai? - Have you been well?
• Uu, nifee deebiru. - Yes, thank you.
• abiyaa - person who talks loudly, yelling
• achisan yaa tai - It's hot, isn't it?
• andagii - Okinawan donut (This is more of a name for a local specialty)
• anmaa or ayaa - mother
• ashitibichi - Pig's feet soup
• chu (short sound) - people
• churakaagii - good looking
• gachimayaa - gluttonous (Usually used to refer to a person who munches on food alot.)
• jin-gwaa - money (gwaa is an ending like a sufix and sometimes hase a negative conatation. It also used to identify small sized items.)
• kumankai kuuwa - Come here.
• maan kai ga? - Where are you going? (ga is the ending marker identifying a question like ka in formal Japanese.)
• magii - large, big
• maasan - tasty, delicious
• mii gusui - sights pleasing to the eyes
• niibu yaa - sleepy head
• njichaabira - goodbye
• Uchinanchu - people from Okinawa (Also you may hear Uminchu.)
• uumaku - rascal (used to refer to a child usually one that is spoiled.)
• ningurugwaa - sweetheart (besides one's wife); girlfriend
• unju - you (polite)
• warabi - child (from waraba.)
• yanakaagii - not good looking
• yatchii - a male who is a little older than oneself (Also used by a wife refering to her husband.)
• yukumisooree. - Rest awhile.
• yamatuu - Japanese from the main islands of Japan; Naichi
• yuntaku - talkative (Or O shabari.) These are generally used to identify a person who is just rambeling or talking to be talking.
• Child - waraba
• Children - warata
• Girl - inagu
• Daughter - inagu waraba
• Daughters - inagu warata
• Boy - ikiga
• Son - ikiga waraba
• Sons - ikiga warata
• dragonfly - aakeejuu
• loving/liking - kanasan
• jealousy - uwaanai
• Grandfather - tanme usume
• Grandmother - unme hame
• Father - tari, su (Su-gwaa is also used for the wife to refer to her husband indirectly)
• Mother - aya ,anma
• Child - waraba, waraba, warabi
• taa ga - who?

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