#uchinaguchi

Haisai, gusuuyoo. I hope everyone is safe and doing well. I teamed up with Nami Oshiro, a fantastic Shimanchu American artist based in Virginia, to create the first three items in an ongoing effort to raise funds for independent Shimakutuba practitioners and projects.

Many Shimanchu creators and educators are doing the work on their own time and out of their own pockets, so I'm hoping that this (and future fundraisers) can be a small show of support and gratitude.

This 3" sticker, 2.25" button, and 1.25" acrylic pin set features a Ramones logo-inspired design with an open-mouth shiisaa symbolizing the sharing of good things, i.e. our indigenous languages. There are several distinct languages throughout the Ryūkyū Islands (all of which are endangered), so we decided to go with the six regions recognized by UNESCO: Amami, Kunjan (Kunigami), Uchinaa (Okinawa), Myaaku (Miyako), Yaima (Yaeyama), Dunan (Yonaguni).

Please visit the Ko‑fi shop today! All proceeds (minus item production costs and shipping fees) will be donated to individuals/groups and I'll post receipts once the donations are made.

P.S. I'm still selling items through the Shimanchu Dushi-nu-chaa Online Sale, if you're interested in combining shipping.

Shiisaa illustration by Nami Oshiro

One of my しんし (先制 in Japanese) taught us these phrases and I want to share them with you! 

Uchinaguchi is one of the 6 main Ryukyu languages from, what we now know as, Okinawa prefecture. It is not a type of Japanese because it is it's own language, though in these examples some of the phrases are Okinawa Hogen (沖縄方言）which is a Japanese-Okinawan dialect.

Phrases:

Uchinaguchi: はじみてぃやーさい。

Japanese: はじめまして。

English: Nice to meet you.

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Uchinaguchi: わんなーや「blank」や（え）いびん。　

Japanese: わたしのなまえは「blank」です。

English: My name is (blank).

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Uchinaguchi: 「District」ぬ「Family」さんやわんやぇーかやいびん。

Japanese: 「District」の「Family」さんはわたしのしんせきです。

English: This is my (family name) of (district).

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Uchinaguchi: ちゅうーやゆたしくうにげーさびら。

Japanese: きょうはよろしくおねがします。

English:  Please take care of me today.

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I want to share some of the information my Uchinaguchi teacher (in Okinawa) taught me!

あ　ーーーー＞　あ

い　ーーーー＞　い

う　ーーーー＞　い

え　ーーーー＞　い

お　ーーーー＞　う

う　becomes  い

え　becomes い

お　becomes う

Examples:

ゆび　＝　いび

て　＝　てぃ

つめ　＝　てぃみ

け　＝　きー

Songbird, Oasis cover. English and Okinawan versions now streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, and most other music platforms. 

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/robkajiwara/songbird

You've Got to Hide Your Love Away | Okinawan version Beatles cover | 

"Take Me Home Country Roads," John Denver / Israel Kamakawiwoʻole cover song - Uchinaaguchi (Okinawan language) version. 

うちなーぐちバージョン ジョン・デンバー カバーソング。全部うちなーぐち。 

くぬすば、でーじまぎこーねーらに？

むる　かだしが😁

∗∗∗

やーにんじゅ　やてぃん、どぅしんちゃーやてぃん、ぬーんくぃん　たげーに　言らりーるくとー　てーしちやんやー。

わんねー　くちおーえーや　あんすか　しかん、ならんしが、うりやてぃん、

言らんでーならんくとー　言しがる　どぅーぬたみんかいん、てーしちな人(ちゅ)ぬたみんかいん、ないるはじ。

▷▷

このそば、超大きくない？

全部食べたけど😁

∗∗∗

家族でも友だちでも、何でもお互いに言えることは、大切だよねー。

わたしは、口喧嘩はあんまり好きじゃないし、できないけど、それでも、

言わないといけないことは、言うほうが