Japanese

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

Noun

沖縄 ‎(shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 沖繩, hiragana おきなわ, romaji okinawa, historical hiragana おきなは)

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

Proper noun

沖縄 ‎(shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 沖繩, hiragana おきなわ, romaji Okinawa, historical hiragana おきなは)

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[...]

   • 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

   • 1531-1623: Omoro Sōshi, #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

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

Derived terms

Synonyms

• (island chain): 琉球 (りゅうきゅう) ‎(Ryūkyū)

References

1. ↑ 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, ISBN 978-4-14-011112-3

• Hokama, Shuzen; Nobutsuna Saigō (1972) Nihon Shisō Taikai 18: Omoro Sōshi (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten
• Takeuchi, Rizō (1962) Nara Ibun: Volume 3 (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Tōkyōdō Shuppan, ISBN 978-4-490-30010-9.

Okinawan

Etymology

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

Proper noun

沖縄 ‎(hiragana うちなー, Romaji Uchinaa)

1. Okinawa

Derived terms

• 沖縄口 (うちなーぐち, Uchinaaguchi)
• 沖縄人 (うちなんちゅ, Uchinanchu)