Image: Wikimedia Commons

Okinawan

Northern Ryukyuan language

Languagenatural language modern languageQ34233

Also known as Central Okinawan · Uchināguchi · ʔucināguci · ryu · Okinawan language · Uchinaaguchi

Speakers: 984,000
Subclass of: Northern Ryukyuan
, Southern Amami-Okinawan
Script: Okinawan scripts
, Japanese writing system
Indigenous to: Okinawa Prefecture
, Okinawan people

Overview

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · Read full article · Text CC BY-SA 4.0

Okinawan, or more precisely Central Okinawan, is a Northern Ryukyuan language spoken primarily in the southern half of the island of Okinawa, as well as in the surrounding islands of Kerama, Kumejima, Tonaki, Aguni and a number of smaller peripheral islands. Central Okinawan distinguishes itself from the speech of Northern Okinawa, which is classified independently as the Kunigami language. Both languages are listed by UNESCO as endangered.

Overview

Works in this language

9 linked to Okinawan in Wikidata

All data

35 statements · 20% with external sources · numbers in brackets are citations

Wikimedia language code: ryu
Linguistic typology: subject–object–verb
agglutinative language
UNESCO language status: 3 definitely endangered
1
Sources
1.Stated in Red Book of Endangered Languagesunesco.org/languages-atlas/en/atlasmap/language-id-1976.htmlRetrieved 2018-06-24
View statement on Wikidata ↗
Ethnologue language status: 7 Shifting
1
Sources
1.Stated in Ethnologueethnologue.com/language/ryuRetrieved 2019-05-10
View statement on Wikidata ↗
Country: Japan
1
Sources
1.“ScriptSource - Japan”scriptsource.org/country/JPRetrieved 2023-08-19
View statement on Wikidata ↗
Different from: Okinawan Japanese
Native label: 沖縄口 subject lexeme: L494591
うちなーぐち subject lexeme: L494591

On other databases

13 identifiers linking Okinawan across the web's reference databases

Data quality

statements

20%

externally sourced

Source last edited August 27, 2026. AIDB refreshes this page daily.

Suggest a fact or correction

Links

Use this data

curl https://aidb.si/api/v1/entities/Q34233

API docs, limits & keys

Cite this page

AIDB. (2026). Okinawan (Q34233). Retrieved from https://aidb.si/e/okinawan-Q34233