Animals

1. いん

   In

   Dog

   Usage

   The Okinawan form — Japanese "inu" contracted to "in"

2. まやー

   Ma-yaa

   Cat

   Usage

   A native Okinawan word, sharing nothing with Japanese "neko". You will meet plenty on Taketomi and in island villages

3. とぅい

   Tu-i

   Bird / chicken

   Usage

   Okinawan uses one word for birds and chickens alike — Japanese "tori" with "to" shifted to "tu"

4. いゆ

   I-yu

   Fish

   Usage

   The Okinawan form. It compounds, as in "iyu-machi" — a fish market

5. ぐるくん

   Gu-ru-kun

   Gurukun (double-lined fusilier)

   Usage

   Okinawa's official prefectural fish, usually served deep-fried. You will see the name in every izakaya and diner

6. んま

   N-ma

   Horse

   Usage

   Starting a word with "n" is characteristic of Okinawan. Yonaguni Island keeps its own native horse breed

7. うし

   U-shi

   Cow / bull

   Usage

   The cow. Okinawa has its own tradition of bull-versus-bull contests, "ushi-oorasee"

8. わー

   Waa

   Pig

   Usage

   A native Okinawan word. Pork is the centre of Okinawan cooking, and the native breed is the Agu. "Waa-gwaa" is a piglet

9. ふぃーじゃー

   Fii-jaa

   Goat

   Usage

   Also written hwiizaa. Okinawan has no plain "hi" — Japanese "hi" always becomes "fi" here. Famous through fiijaa-jiru, the goat soup served at celebrations

10. あふぃらー

    A-fi-raa

    Duck

    Usage

    Also written ?ahwiraa or ?ahwiru — Japanese "hi" becomes "fi" as usual. You will see them on paddies and farm ponds

11. はぶ

    Ha-bu

    Habu pit viper

    Usage

    The creature to watch for in Okinawa. Nocturnal, hiding in scrub, stone walls and cane fields. If bitten, call 119 at once — and never put your hand into undergrowth

12. いらぶー

    I-ra-buu

    Erabu sea krait

    Usage

    The sea krait. Smoked and stewed as a traditional food on Kudaka Island, but strongly venomous — never touch one in the water

13. やーるー

    Yaa-ruu

    House gecko

    Usage

    A native Okinawan word for the little gecko on your wall or screen door. Harmless, it eats mosquitoes, and Okinawans regard it as a guardian of the house

14. かーみー

    Kaa-mii

    Turtle

    Usage

    The turtle. Okinawa's traditional tomb, the "kaamii-na-kuu-baka", is named for its turtle-shell shape

15. あたびち

    A-ta-bi-chi

    Frog

    Usage

    A native Okinawan word, sharing nothing with Japanese "kaeru". They call loudly on rainy-season nights

16. うぇんちゅ

    Wen-chu

    Rat / mouse

    Usage

    A native Okinawan word, unlike Japanese "nezumi". The zodiac year of the Rat is "wenchu-dushi"

17. かーぶやー

    Kaa-bu-yaa

    Bat

    Usage

    A native Okinawan word. Okinawa has the large Orii's flying fox, which crosses the treetops at dusk

18. がじゃん

    Ga-jan

    Mosquito

    Usage

    A native Okinawan word. Naha's hill "Gajanbira" means "the mosquito slope". Use it when asking for repellent

19. ふぃーらー

    Fii-raa

    Cockroach

    Usage

    Also written hwiiraa (cockroach). Hwiiruu, a hand-warmer brazier, is a different word. The subtropical ones grow large

20. あーけーじゅー

    Aa-kee-juu

    Dragonfly

    Usage

    A native Okinawan word with a very Okinawan ring to it, common in children's songs and folk songs

21. はべる

    Ha-be-ru

    Butterfly

    Usage

    A native Okinawan word. The prefectural butterfly, the large black-and-white tree nymph, is a fixture of Okinawa's butterfly gardens

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