沖縄

See also: 冲绳 and 沖繩

Japanese

沖縄 (Okinawa): a map of Japan showing the location of Okinawa in red in the southwest corner.

Kanji in this term
沖	縄
おき Grade: 4	なわ Grade: 4
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
沖繩 (kyūjitai)

Etymology

/okinapa/ → /okinafa/ → /okinawa/

From Old Japanese. Compound of 沖 (oki, “offshore, at sea”) +‎ 縄 (nawa, “rope”).

Noun

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

Proper noun

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)

   • circa 1300, Heike Monogatari‎^[1], 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)

   • 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)

2. a group of islands known as the Okinawa Islands
3. the southern-most Japanese prefecture: Okinawa Prefecture

Synonyms

• (island chain): 琉球(りゅうきゅう) (Ryūkyū)

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 沖縄県(おきなわけん) (Okinawaken): Okinawa prefecture
• 沖縄戦(おきなわせん) (Okinawa-sen): the Battle of Okinawa
• 沖縄諸島(おきなわしょとう) (Okinawa shotō): the Okinawa archipelago
• 沖縄島(おきなわじま) (Okinawajima): Okinawa Island
• 沖縄語(おきなわご) (Okinawago): Okinawan language

References

• Takeuchi, Rizō (1962) Nara Ibun: Volume 3 (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Tōkyōdō Shuppan, →ISBN.

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Kunigami

Etymology

Cognate with Japanese 沖縄 (Okinawa, literally “offshore + rope”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɸut͡ɕinaː/

Proper noun

沖縄 (hiragana ふちなー, romaji Fuchinā)

1. Okinawa

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Miyako

Etymology

Cognate with Japanese 沖縄 (Okinawa, literally “offshore + rope”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ukˢɨnaː/

Proper noun

沖縄 (hiragana うきぃなー, romaji Uksïnā)

1. Okinawa

Derived terms

• 沖縄口

 

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Okinawan

Kanji in this term
沖	縄
うち Grade: 4	なー Grade: 4
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
沖繩 (kyūjitai)

Etymology

From Proto-Ryukyuan *okinawa (“offshore rope”), from Proto-Japonic *əkinapa, from *əki (“offshore”) + *napa (“rope”). Cognate with Japanese 沖縄 (Okinawa, literally “offshore + rope”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔut͡ɕinaː/

Proper noun

1. Okinawa

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 沖(うち)縄(なー)口(ぐち) (Uchināguchi)
• 沖(うち)縄(なー)ん人(ちゅ) (uchinānchu)
• 沖(うち)縄(なー)県(ちん) (Uchinā-chin)

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).

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Yaeyama

Etymology

Cognate with Japanese 沖縄 (Okinawa, literally “offshore + rope”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔukɨnaː/

Proper noun

沖縄 (hiragana うきぃなー, romaji Ukïnā)

1. Okinawa

Derived terms

• 沖縄物言

 

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Yonaguni

Etymology

Cognate with Japanese 沖縄 (Okinawa, literally “offshore + rope”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /unna/

Proper noun

沖縄 (hiragana うんな, romaji Unna)

1. Okinawa

Derived terms

• 沖縄物言