Okinawan (Okinawan: Ucinaaguci) 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 groups: 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.
1 Bibliography
2 External links
Phonology
- This section describes the Nakijin dialect, which differs from the Shuri dialect somewhat.
Vowels
Okinawan has three short vowels, [a i u], and five long vowels, [a: e: i: o: u:]. Note that [u] is rounded, unlike in Japanese.
Consonants
This is a comprehensive listing of consonants, and lists allophonic sets such as [h ç ɸ] separately. For a list of phonemic consonants, consult the syllabary.
Syllabary
(Technically, these are mora, not syllables.)
ʔi |
ʔe |
ʔa |
ʔo |
ʔu |
ʔja |
ʔjo |
ʔju |
|
ʔwa |
ʔɴ |
[ʔi] |
[ʔe] |
[ʔa] |
[ʔo] |
[ʔu] |
[ʔja] |
[ʔjo] |
[ʔju] |
|
[ʔɰa] |
[ʔn]
[ʔm] |
i |
e |
a |
o |
u |
ja |
jo |
ju |
we |
wa |
ɴ |
[i]
[ji] |
[e]
[je] |
[a] |
[o]
[wo] |
[u]
[wu] |
[ja] |
[jo] |
[ju] |
[ɰe] |
[ɰa] |
[n]
[m]
[ŋ]
[ɴ] |
hi |
he |
ha |
ho |
hu |
hja |
hjo |
hju |
― |
hwa |
|
[çi] |
[çe] |
[ha] |
[ho] |
[ɸu] |
[ça] |
[ço] |
[çu] |
― |
[ɸa] |
gi |
ge |
ga |
go |
gu |
gja |
― |
― |
gwe |
gwa |
|
[gi] |
[ge] |
[ga] |
[go] |
[gu] |
[gja] |
― |
― |
[gʷe] |
[gʷa] |
|
ki |
ke |
ka |
ko |
ku |
kja |
― |
― |
kwe |
kwa |
|
[ki] |
[ke] |
[ka] |
[ko] |
[ku] |
[kja] |
― |
― |
[kʷe] |
[kʷa] |
|
ci |
ce |
ca |
co |
cu |
― |
― |
― |
― |
― |
|
[tʃi] |
[tʃe] |
[tʃa] |
[tʃo] |
[tʃu] |
― |
― |
― |
― |
― |
|
zi |
ze |
za |
zo |
zu |
― |
― |
― |
― |
― |
|
[dʒi] |
[dʒe] |
[dʒa] |
[dʒo] |
[dʒu] |
― |
― |
― |
― |
― |
|
si |
se |
sa |
so |
su |
sja |
― |
sju |
― |
― |
|
[ʃi] |
[ʃe] |
[sa] |
[so] |
[su] |
[ʃa] |
― |
[ʃu] |
― |
― |
|
di |
de |
da |
do |
du |
― |
― |
― |
― |
― |
|
ri |
re |
ra |
ro |
ru |
[di] |
[de] |
[da] |
[do] |
[du] |
― |
― |
― |
― |
― |
|
[ɾi] |
[ɾe] |
[ɾa] |
[ɾo] |
[ɾu] |
ti |
te |
ta |
to |
tu |
― |
― |
― |
― |
― |
|
[ti] |
[te] |
[ta] |
[to] |
[tu] |
― |
― |
― |
― |
― |
|
mi |
me |
ma |
mo |
mu |
mja |
mjo |
― |
― |
― |
|
[mi] |
[me] |
[ma] |
[mo] |
[mu] |
[mja] |
[mjo] |
― |
― |
― |
|
bi |
be |
ba |
bo |
bu |
bja |
bjo |
bju |
― |
― |
|
[bi] |
[be] |
[ba] |
[bo] |
[bu] |
[bja] |
[bjo] |
[bju] |
― |
― |
|
pi |
pe |
pa |
po |
pu |
pja |
― |
pju |
― |
― |
|
[pi] |
[pe] |
[pa] |
[po] |
[pu] |
[pja] |
― |
[pju] |
― |
― |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
q |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
[h]
[j]
[s]
[t]
[p] |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
e |
|
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[:] |
Correspondences with Japanese
Japanese |
Okinawan |
Notes |
/e/ |
/i/ |
[ti] not [tʃi] |
/o/ |
/u/ |
[tu] not [tsu], [du] not [dzu] |
/ai/ |
/e:/ |
|
/ae/ |
/au/ |
/o:/ |
|
/ao/ |
/aja/ |
/k/ |
/k/ |
/g/ also occurs |
/ka/ |
/ka/ |
/ha/ also occurs |
/ki/ |
/ci/ |
[tʃi] |
/ku/ |
/ku/ |
/hu/ [ɸu] also occurs |
/si/ |
/si/ |
/hi/ [çi] also occurs |
/su/ |
/si/ |
[ʃi]; formerly distinguished as [si]
/hi/ [çi] also occurs |
/tu/ |
/ci/ |
[tʃi]; formerly distinguished as [tsi] |
/da/ |
/ra/ |
[d] and [ɾ] have merged |
/de/ |
/ri/ |
/do/ |
/ru/ |
/ni/ |
/ni/ |
Moraic /ɴ/ also occurs |
/nu/ |
/nu/ |
/ha/ |
/hwa/ |
/pa/ also occurs, but rarely |
/hi/ |
/pi/ ~ /hi/ |
|
/he/ |
/mi/ |
/mi/ |
Moraic /ɴ/ also occurs |
/mu/ |
/mu/ |
/ri/ |
/i/ |
/iri/ and /uri/ unaffected |
/wa/ |
/wa/ |
Tends to become /a/ medially |
Writing
Okinawan for Japanese audiences is now written entirely in katakana (phonetically) or like normal Japanese - a mixture of hiragana, katakana and Kanji (sometimes chosen for meaning only, for instance, 太陽 for tiida, sun; usually chosen because of cognacy) with ruby.
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.
書く kaku
to read |
|
Classical |
Shuri |
Irrealis |
未然形 |
書か |
kaka- |
kaka- |
Continuative |
連用形 |
書き |
kaki- |
kaci- |
Terminal |
終止形 |
書く |
kaku |
kacun |
Attributive |
連体形 |
書く |
kaku |
kacuru |
Realis |
已然形 |
書け |
kake- |
kaki- |
Imperative |
命令形 |
書け |
kake |
kaki |
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.
Bibliography
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)
External links
English
Japanese
Last updated: 05-17-2005 04:06:17