What is Okinawan language?
{{Infobox language |name = Okinawan |nativename = {{lang|ja|沖縄口}}/{{lang|ja|ウチナーグチ}} ''Uchinaaguchi'' |pronunciation = {{IPA-ryu|ʔut͡ɕinaːɡut͡ɕi|}} |states = Japan |region = [[Okinawa Islands]] |speakers = {{sigfig|984,000|2}} |date = 2000 |ref = e18 |familycolor = altaic |fam1 = [[Japonic languages|Japonic]] |fam2 = [[Ryukyuan languages|Ryukyuan]] |fam3 = [[Amami–Okinawan languages|Northern Ryukyuan]] |iso3 = ryu |glotto=cent2126 |glottorefname=Central Okinawan |lingua = 45-CAC-ai<br />45-CAC-aj<br />45-CAC-ak{{sfn|Mimizun.com|2005|loc=Comment #658 &ndash; '''45-CAC-ai''' comprises most of Central Okinawa, including [[Shuri, Okinawa|Shuri]] ([[Naha, Okinawa|Naha]]), [[Ginowan, Okinawa|Ginowan]] and [[Nishihara, Okinawa|Nishihara]]; '''45-CAC-aj''' comprises the southern tip of Okinawa Island, including [[Itoman, Okinawa|Itoman]], Mabuni and Takamine; '''45-CAC-ak''' encompasses the region west of Okinawa Island, including the [[Kerama Islands]], [[Kumejima, Okinawa|Kumejima]] and [[Aguni, Okinawa|Aguni]]}} |script = [[Okinawan writing system|Okinawan]], [[Japanese writing system|Japanese]], [[Romanization of Japanese|Rōmaji]] |map = Boundaries of the Okinawan Languages.svg |mapcaption = {{legend|#FF0000|(South–Central) Okinawan, {{sc|aka}} Shuri–Naha}} |notice = IPA }} The '''Okinawan language''' (沖縄口, ''Uchināguchi'') is a [[Ryukyuan languages|Ryukyuan language]] that is spoken in the [[Okinawa|Okinawa Islands]] of [[Japan]]. Most [[linguist]]s say that it branched off from [[Proto-Japonic language|Proto-Japonic]], which is the ancestor of [[Japanese language|Japanese]] and the [[Ryukyuan languages]]. The Japanese government says Okinawan is a dialect of Japanese because of politics. == History == When a group of people called the Yayoi came into the Ryukyu Islands, they brought over a language called Proto-Japonic. This language over time turned into the modern Ryukyuan languages. Proto-Japonic was also spoken in mainland Japan, which turned into Japanese, meaning Japanese and the Ryukyuan languages are rel