Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Okinawa” come from?

Okinawa comes from Old Japanese おきなわ, a toponym of uncertain ultimate origin.

Ancestry of “Okinawa”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese沖縄a rope used to catch fish
2Old Japaneseおきなわ—

Words derived from “Okinawa”

  • Okinawan
Every word from Old Japanese おきなわ →