Okinawan Japanese

An example of Okinawan Japanese Koohii shaapu, from English "coffee shop", instead of Koohii shoppu in standard Japanese.

Okinawan Japanese (ウチナーヤマトゥグチ（沖縄大和口）, Uchinaa Yamatu-guchi) is the Japanese language as spoken by people of Okinawa Prefecture. Okinawan Japanese's accents and words are influenced by traditional Ryukyuan languages. Okinawan Japanese has some loanwords from American English due to the United States administration after the Battle of Okinawa.

Examples of vocabulary and phrase

• haisai (はいさい) - hello. from Ryukyuan.
• ... saa (さー) - sentence final particle. from Japanese.
• aga! (あがっ!) - ouch! from Ryukyuan.
• deeji (でーじ) - very, terribly. from Ryukyuan.
• shini (しに) - very. also shinikan (しにかん) in North Okinawa. new word by young Okinawan.
• wajiru (わじる) - to stream up. from Ryukyuan.
• furaa (ふらー) - foolish. from Ryukyuan.
• aisu waaraa (アイスワーラー) - ice water. from English.
• shaapu (シャープ) - shop. from English.
• ritchaa (リッチャー) - rich person. from English rich and Ryukyuan -aa "-ist".
• naichaa (ナイチャー) - mainland Japanese people. from Japanese naichi "mainland" and Ryukyuan -aa.
• da kara yoo (だからよー) - that's it, yeah. from Japanese da kara "because of".
• -mashoo ne (ましょうね) - I will ... from Japanese "Let's ..."
• daaru (だある) - That's it. from Japanese de aru formal copula.
• jootoo (じょーとー, 上等) - Good. from Japanese.