Naha City

1 5.1

The capital and largest city of Okinawa in the Ryukyu Islands of Japan

proper noun

: Naha

The airport in Naha City is the main gateway to the Ryukyu Islands.

Examples

Tourists often visit Naha City to experience Okinawan culture and cuisine.
Have you ever been to Naha City?
After moving to Naha City, she quickly adapted to the subtropical climate.
I visited Naha City last summer.
The airport in Naha City is the main gateway to the Ryukyu Islands.
Tourists often visit Naha City to experience Okinawan culture and cuisine.
After moving to Naha City, she quickly adapted to the subtropical climate.

Surface Forms

Naha City main

Morphology

Naha + city

Knowing 'city' allows a learner to infer this refers to an urban place called Naha, so the basic referential meaning is predictable from the constituents. However, 'Naha' is a proper name whose specific information (that it is the capital of Okinawa, location in the Ryukyu Islands) cannot be derived from the parts, so the full encyclopedic meaning is not transparent.

Etymology

Naha City may come from an old local word 'Nafa' for a busy port or market where merchants sold goods. Because it was the main arrival and trade place for the islands, the name stuck, and Naha City today is the capital and gateway to Okinawa, so the name helps you picture a busy harbor and center of local life.