also: うちなあぐち
noun
Okinawan language; Okinawan dialect
Refers to the Ryukyuan language spoken in Okinawa, often called a dialect in Japanese context. Dialectal term (Ryuukyuu-ben).
ウチナーグチを勉強しています。
I'm studying the Okinawan language.
おばあはウチナーグチしか話せない。
My grandmother can only speak Okinawan.
琉球語 is the academic term for the Ryukyuan languages as a whole, while ウチナーグチ specifically refers to the Okinawan language.
沖縄方言 is the standard Japanese term for 'Okinawan dialect', often used interchangeably but can carry a nuance of being a dialect of Japanese rather than a separate language.
From Okinawan 沖縄口 (うちなーぐち), literally 'Okinawa mouth/language'. The reading うちなー reflects the Okinawan pronunciation of 沖縄.