This website began in 1998 with containing only 51 words of Okayama dialect. First 5 years, I could not remember much of the Okayama dialect,and didn't update this page. Then I have been trying to collect the old words from elder people living in Okayama at the same time continuing to recall them from my memory, with updating the website year after year. The total number of dialects are over 500 by now. Few of these words are spoken with advance of standardization of Japan language. So I have tried to translate some of them, especially useful ones, to English.
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| Baa (adv. , adj.) | (1)Strengthen meaning of the word (verb or noun) just before baa. (2) Immediately after. Same meaning as "ikinoo" |
(1) See "chibakeru or kyootee" (2) Kokee kita baa jyakee iki ga kurusii. (I'm out of breath just arriving here). |
| Chibakeru (verb) | (1) Play a silly trick on (2) make a fool of |
(1) Chibakeru baa suna (Don't play a silly trick on me). (2) Chibakena (Don't make a fool of me). |
| Gasso (noun) | (1) A thick forest (2) Disheveled hair or mustache Same meaning as "Goso". |
(1) Ame baa de niwaa gasso jya (A long spell of rainy weather would make a thick forest in the garden just outside of my house). (2) Kami ga gasso jya (Your hair is disheveled). |
| Hissa (noun) | for a long time | Hissa nyuuin sitottan yo (I had been in hospital for a long time). |
| Ibaru (verb) | (1) A state that wound has festered. (2) pressing too hard, strain oneself, stand firm with legs wide apart |
(1) Senaka no demono ga ibaru (I've got a swelling on my back and feel pain). (2) Toire de ibatotta ka(You tried so hard in toilet)? |
| Ijimasii (adjective) When one feels the following sensation, one says "ijimasii" unconsciously. |
(1) Strange sensation like this; (1-a) Hearing of sound scratching a frosted glass pane with nails, something strange sensation happens as if bugs are creeping on one's back. (1-b) Finding innumerable cockroaches all over here, something strange sensation happens as if bugs are creeping on one's back. (2) be impatient, be irritable; Doing something as fast as possible, but some obstacles interrupt it. Finally, a queer sensation happens as if a part of the body, especially fingers will begin to be tingling or feel numbness. |
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| Ikinoo (adv.) | immediately after | Kokee kita ikinoo jyakee iki ga kurusii. (I'm out of breath just arriving here). |
| Iramakasu (verb) | make fun of, tease same meaning as "edookasu" |
(1) Don't tease me so much (Iramaksu baa suna). (2) Don't make fun of me (edookasarena). ---- only for women |
| jyakee, jakee | so; That's why | Omee no koto ga sinpee jyakee kokee kitan jya. (I 'm so anxious about you that I've come here.) |
| Kogu (verb) | (1) scrape off a few at a time (2) thresh (3) go into |
(1) Ki no kawaa koi dokee (scrape the bark off a tree). (2) Ine kogi (threshing a rice). (3) Gasso o kogu nee (We will go into the deep forest). |
| Kyootee | (1) fearful (2) be scared (3) dangerous |
(1) Kyootee jiken jya (This is a fearful crime). (2) Kyootee noo (I'm scared). (3) Kyootee koto baa serarena (Don't do such a dangerous work ). |
| Momota (noun) | unilateral or bilateral thigh and groin. | Akago wa momota no aida kara (Baby is born between women's groins). |
| Momota-rou (noun) | A famous man in a old tale. | "rou" means a man. "Momotarou" is a man who was born between women's groins. |
| Miteru (verb) | consume or use something, and run out. | Kome ga mitete simoota (We have run out of rice). |
| Nee | will Using "nee" together with a verb, the verb does not conjugate (suffix of the verb does not change). |
(1) Iku nee (I will be there). (2) Basu ga kuru nee (Bus will come soon). |
| Oen | (1) must (2) impossible (3) unbearable (4) not work (5) be prohibited, be forbidden (6) pass away (7) poor fortune |
(1) Kaento oen (It must be changed). (2) Oerumonka (It's impossible). (3) atuute oen (It's unbearable heat). (4) Kikoneetemo oen (It doesn't work that you strain your ears to catch the conversation in the next room). (5) Soneena koto sichaa oen (It is forbidden to do such a thing) (6) Oen yooni natta (He(or She) passed away). (7) Oeryaa sen (I am cursed). |
| Onbin (noun) | coward, chiken. | Onbin kuso (Chiken !!). --- kuso means "shit" |
| Sabaru (verb, vi.) | (1) Cling to. Grip strongly. (2) Contiue to be in touch with. |
(1) Totte ni sabatto kee (Cling to the door handle). (2) Inu ga sabari tuitoru gana (The dog follow me and cling to my legs incessantly). |
| Sawaru (verb, vt.) | curse. | Soneena koto o shoryaa sawara reru nee (You would be cursed if you do it). |
| Sukeru (verb, vt.) | put. | Kono koppu o tukue no uee suketeete (Please put this cup on the table.) |
| Torageru (verb) | put back. | Hon o torageru nee (You would be better to put the book back in the bookcase). |
| Udaru (verb) | drip | Udaru youni atsui (It's so hot that drops of sweat are dripping down). |
| Yoki (noun) | effect ex. Having recovered from illness, but it seems that something wrong effect of the illness still exists. |
Kaze no yoki ka karada ga darui (It seems to have a bad influence of cold, why I feel sluggish). |