Okinawan language

Okinawan
沖縄口/ウチナーグチ Uchinaaguchi
Pronunciation	[ʔut͡ɕinaːɡut͡ɕi]
Native to	Japan
Region	Okinawa Islands
Native speakers	980,000 (2000)
Language family	Japonic
Writing system	Okinawan, Japanese, Rōmaji
Language codes
ISO 639-3
Glottolog	cent2126
Linguasphere	45-CAC-ai 45-CAC-aj 45-CAC-ak
(South–Central) Okinawan, AKA Shuri–Naha
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Central Okinawan, or simply the Okinawan language (沖縄口/ウチナーグチ Uchinaaguchi [ʔut͡ɕinaːɡut͡ɕi]), 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 have been designated as endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger since its launch in February 2009.

Though Okinawan encompasses a number of local dialects, the Shuri-Naha variant is generally recognized as the de facto standard, as it had been used as the official language of the Ryūkyū Kingdom since the reign of King Shō Shin (1477–1526). Moreover, as the former capital of Shuri was built around the royal palace, the language used by the royal court became the regional and literary standard, which thus flourished in songs and poems written during that era.

Within Japan, Okinawan is often not seen as a language unto itself but is referred to as the Okinawan dialect (沖縄方言, Okinawa hōgen^?) or more specifically the Central and Southern Okinawan dialects (沖縄中南部諸方言, Okinawa Chūnanbu Sho hōgen^?).