Okinawan: a beautiful group of languages which are fading with time...

hey, im bluepuffin.

 Today I’m going to share a song.

entry, 

 I've been feeling sad on how the Okinawan languages are dying, while Palestinian children keep dying. Ainu is almost dead too... I've shared a song from the Lily Chou Chou movie, "Arabesque", sang in Okinawan. Below, I'll leave its lyrics in Okinawan, in katakana alphabet, English alphabet and its translation. I hope you enjoy! Sadly, learning Okinawan is deeply limited by if you know Japanese or not, but I had found a free course in English which I lost sight of. I got the lyrics from https://monggwo.hatenadiary.jp/entry/2019/12/02/105911. 

katakana alphabet + romanized lyrics:

☆アオヌティンアオヌトゥ

ao nu tin ao nu tu

シマヌウタ

shima nu uta

アオヌティンアオヌトゥ

ao nu tin ao nu tu

パイヌシマヌウタ

pai nu shima nu uta

シルヌパナヌサクパショ

shirunu pana nu saku pasho

ミドゥンマリエン 

midun marien

ヒリィドゥ 

hiridu

パナヌナァトゥ 

pana nu natu

フミィドゥンハアイア 

fumiidun haaia

ヒィディタヌ 

hiditanu

Repeat ☆

アオヌティンアオヌトゥ

ao nu tin ao nu tu

シマヌウタ 

shima nu uta

ハハヌパナヌサクパショ 

haha nu pana nu saku pasho

english translation (from a Japanese translation)

☆ blue sky, blue sea,

the song of the island.

blue sky, blue sea,

the song of the southern island.

at the time white flowers bloomed,

the daughter was born

and received

a flower name.

the daughter received.

Repeat ☆

blue sky, blue sea,

the song of the island.

at the time red flowers bloom,

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I hope you liked it! After getting to a certain level in Japanese and my school exams ending, I plan to learn Okinawan too, even a bit. To resume it, Okinawa was Ryuukyuu, Ryuukyuu was invaded by Japan, annexed by Japan, Japan scolded kids in school for speaking Okinawan, and parents in Okinawa chose to only teach their children Japanese "since it was more useful". That was long ago, at least 300 years ago. Japan only ceased being an expansionist empire after World War II, so I think the oppression of the Okinawan languages didn't end too soon. 

 Nowadays, fewer people speak Okinawan languages than ever. Foreign people like me with knowledge in Japanese try learning, but it's too late for most of Okinawans. Most Okinawans speak Japanese, and not always an Okinawan language.

''Okinawan speakers are undergoing language shift as they switch to Japanese, since language use in Okinawa today is far from stable. Okinawans are assimilating and accenting standard Japanese due to the similarity of the two languages, the standardized and centralized education system, the media, business and social contact with mainlanders and previous attempts from Japan to suppress the native languages.'' - Wikipedia 

はじみてぃやーたいMikeさん、わーブログんーちとぅらち、いっぺーにふぇーでーびる！

首里も含めて、普段から話す言葉はうちなーぐちじゃないようです。本格的に勉強されるなら、東京外国語大学の公開講座がおすすめです！

— くり からん◆笑う病人還暦サバイバー (@imeyun_kana) May 29, 2025

 "[Okinawan I cant understand]. It seems that the language spoken in every day life, including in Shuri, is not Okinawan. (...)" - imeyunkana, the writer of a blog written in Japanese helping people learn Okinawan (imeyunkana.blogspot.com)

 This is really worrying to me. It's sad knowing a language is dying and there is fairly nothing I can do about it expect learning it, watch it fade into forgetness, though, while ironically, it's thanks to my Japanese knowledge that enjoy the songs and blogs where it thrivingly breathes (since it most often comes translated in Japanese, just like this song I shared). Thank you for answering my questions, Imeyun Kana :)

 Tomorrow I'm going on a school trip!! 5 hours stuck on a bus likely with no bathroom!! But oh well :0. Wish luck for me and for those suffering from unfair injustice. Love yall!

又ん御行会ー拝ま! Let's meet again!! :)

(mata n wuichee wugama)

p.s.: don't forget to help people for free on arab.org/click-to-help!