Spelling of names, places, and things is difficult
at best because of numerous cultural differences
between Okinawa and its neighbors. Okinawa,
on many occasions, has been referred to as a cultural
hodgepodge, blending in languages of all the cultures
to which it is exposed. Okinawa has been governed
by China, Japan, and the United States of America.
Naturally, it picks up many facets of these countries
including language.
When writing
Chinese to Okinawan, Okinawan to Japanese, Japanese
to English Chinese to Japanese, accurate translations
become very difficult. For example, the word
Ryukyu; Charles S. Leavenworth, Professor of History,
Imperial Nanvang College, Shangai writes in his
book "The Loochoo Islands" published in 1905, why
he adopted the spelling "Loochoo". Leavenworth
writes "Furthermore, 'Loochoo' is a foreign appellation,
for the people themselves say 'Doochoo,' There
are many ways of spelling the name, from which it
is possible to make a choice, for the writer counted
eighteen different methods in foreign books dealing
with the subject, besides the one adopted.
Thus, we have Lewchew, Luchu, Liu-kiu, Likiou, Lexio,
Lequeo, Lequeyo, Loqueo, Riu-kiu, Riukiu, Liqueo,
Lieoukiou, Lekeyo, Lieoo-Kieoo, Lieu-Kieu, Likeo,
Lieuchieux, and Liquieux.
Another example is
the use of terms for karate; Di and ti are old Okinawan
terms for hands, technique, style or karate.
In Okinawan hogen, it would be written in katakana
as di, ti. Te is Japanese for hand and is
written in kanji. Kenpo or kempo is the same
as quanfa or quan fa.
At different times,
different terms meant different things. Prior
to sport karate, which was introduced to Okinawa
after the Korean War, kumite on Okinawa meant basic
self-defense techniques which were taught in prearranged
set or sets. Kumi means assemble, construct,
put together, fit together a set, an assortment.
Today, kumite to many means sparring. Many
of the martial arts terms, as well as names, have
changed and may vary in meaning according to who
is using the term or name.
In this text, the
Japanese tradition of family name, myoji,
comes first followed by given name, namae,
is used for both Okinawan and Japanese names.
For example, Funakoshi (family name) Gichin (given
name) is written the traditional Japanese way.
So Funakoshi Gichin is Gichin of the house Funakoshi.
However, many Okinawan and Japanese when writing
in the western style will use the given name first
and the family name comes last, so Gichin Funakoshi
would be Gichin of the house Funakoshi.
Okinawans, in the
past used several different names during different
periods of a person's lifetime. For example,
Warabinaa (childhood name) was given at birth.
After attaining manhood males of the gentry class
were given a second name known as nanui.
During his adulthood, it was common to give asana
(nicknames) and in many places a person would change
his own name if he changed his profession.
The nanui (adult name or manhood name) was
normally made of two kanji (Chinese characters)
or words, the first of which is known as nanuigasira.
As an example, the Cho in Choki,
Chotoku, or Chojun is a nanuigasira
denoting ties to the Sho or royal family.
The Chinese characters
kanji, used in names may be read in more than one
way. Shimabuku can be Shimabukuro, Higaonna
can be Higashionna, and Kinjo can be Kaneshiro.
Okinawans have no
middle name and have only given name and family
name. Prior to the 19th century, only noblemen
and bushi (samurai) had family names.
Everyone else such as farmers, fisherman, merchants,
butchers, and craftsmen only had personal names.
At the time, they would be called by their personal
names along with a shop or place name. For
example, Kama Su Chan or father Kama
of Chan village or Chatan Yara or
Yara of Chatan village. It was
only after the Meiji era that the new Japanese
government decided that all should have a family
name.
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