沖縄

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See also: 冲绳 and 沖繩

Japanese

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沖縄 (Okinawa): a map of Japan showing the location of Okinawa in red in the southwest corner.
Kanji in this term
おき
Grade: 4
なわ
Grade: 4
kun'yomi
Alternative spelling
沖繩 (kyūjitai)

Etymology

Compound of Old Japanese elements (おき) (oki, offshore, at sea) + (なわ) (nawa, rope), in reference to the string of islands. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “When it was first attested and what is the book name?”)

Pronunciation

Noun

(おき)(なわ) (okinawaおきなは (okinafa)?

  1. (rare, possibly obsolete) a rope used to catch fish

Proper noun

(おき)(なわ) (Okinawaおきなは (Okinafa)?

  1. the main island in the Okinawa Islands: Okinawa Island
    • 779, Tōdai Wajō Tōsei Den, page 905:
      十六日發、廿一日戊午、第一第二兩舟同至阿児奈波嶋在多禰島南西第三舟作夜已泊同處十二月六日南風起第一舟著石不動第二舟發向多禰去七日至益救嶋
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
    • c. 1300, Heike Monogatari, Nagatobon:
      さつまがたとは惣名也、きかいは十二の島なれば、くち五島は日本へ随へり、おく七しまはいまだ我朝に従はずといへり、白石、、あこしき、くろ島、いわうが島、あせ納、あ世波、やくの島とて、ゑらぶ、おきなは、きかいが島といへり
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
  2. a group of islands known as the Okinawa Islands
  3. the southern-most Japanese prefecture: Okinawa Prefecture

Synonyms

Derived terms

References

  1. ^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

Kunigami

Kanji in this term
Grade: 4 Grade: 4
Alternative spelling
沖繩 (kyūjitai)

Etymology

Cognate with Japanese (おき)(なわ) (Okinawa, literally offshore + rope).

Pronunciation

Proper noun

沖縄(ふちなー) (Fuchinā

  1. Okinawa

Miyako

Kanji in this term
Grade: 4 Grade: 4
Alternative spelling
沖繩 (kyūjitai)

Etymology

From Proto-Ryukyuan *okinawa. Cognate with Japanese (おき)(なわ) (Okinawa, literally offshore + rope).

Pronunciation

Proper noun

沖縄(うきぃなー) (Uksïnā

  1. Okinawa

Derived terms

Okinawan

Kanji in this term
うち
Grade: 4
なー
Grade: 4
kun'yomi
Alternative spelling
沖繩 (kyūjitai)

Etymology

From Proto-Ryukyuan *okinawa. Cognate with Japanese (おき)(なわ) (Okinawa, literally offshore + rope).

Pronunciation

Proper noun

(うち)(なー) (Uchinā

  1. Okinawa
    • 1531-1623, Omoro Sōshi, page 96:
      あがまぶるたたみきよせひやくたてわやりあまみやからおきなわたけててはおもはな しねりやからみしまもりててはおもはな
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Derived terms

Descendants

  • English: Uchina, Uchinā
  • Japanese: うちなー (Uchinā)

References

  • うちなー【沖縄】” in JLect - Japonic Languages and Dialects Database Dictionary, 2019.
  • ウチナー” in Okinawa Center of Language Study, Shuri-Naha Dialect Dictionary (archived; reopens 2024).(permanent dead link)

Yaeyama

Kanji in this term
Grade: 4 Grade: 4
Alternative spelling
沖繩 (kyūjitai)

Etymology 1

From Proto-Ryukyuan *okinawa. Cognate with Japanese (おき)(なわ) (Okinawa, literally offshore + rope).

Pronunciation

Proper noun

沖縄(うきぃなー) (Ukïnā

  1. Okinawa
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Assibilation of the above term.

Pronunciation

Proper noun

沖縄(うしぃなー) (Usïnā

  1. (Hateruma) Okinawa

Etymology 3

Variant with initial bilabial fricative.

Pronunciation

  • (Kuroshima) IPA(key): /ɸukinaː/

Proper noun

沖縄(ふきなー) (Fukinā

  1. (Kuroshima) Okinawa

Etymology 4

Assibilation of the above term.

Pronunciation

  • (Taketomi) IPA(key): /ʔuɕinaː/

Proper noun

沖縄(うしなー) (Ushinā

  1. (Taketomi) Okinawa

Yonaguni

Kanji in this term
Grade: 4 Grade: 4
Alternative spelling
沖繩 (kyūjitai)

Etymology

From Proto-Ryukyuan *okinawa. Cognate with Japanese (おき)(なわ) (Okinawa, literally offshore + rope).

Pronunciation

Proper noun

沖縄(うんな) (Unna

  1. Okinawa

Derived terms