The
Ryukyuan language of Okinawa and the
Ryukyu Islands is closely related to
Japanese. Okinawans call themselves
Uchinanchu and call mainland Japanese
Yamatunchu, from the old kingdom of
Yamato. They call their language
Uchinaa-guchi. The Japanese-Ryukyuan family has no identifiable affiliation with any other languages (though some connect it with
Altaic or with
Austronesian).
The Shuri dialect of Okinawan was established as the literary and courtly form by King Sho Shin (1477-1526) of the Ryukyus. The complex honorific system has levels for class, sex, and age.
Some of the sound differences between Japanese and Shuri Okinawan are:
Jap. Oki. meaning Japanese Okinawan
e i rain ame ami
o u cloud kumo kumu
k ch snow yuki yuchi
chi tsi road michi mitsi
mi n port minato nnato
ri i dance odori udui
wa a river kawa kaa
Uchinai-guchi wakai miseemi = Do you understand Okinawan?
Uu, ufee wakai biin = Yes, I understand a little
Nifee deebiru = Thank you
Njichabira = Goodbye
Update. For more details see http://www.livejournal.com/community/linguaphiles/801964.html
-- I might incorporate some of that here later