🌏 Region(s): Kyushu (Kagoshima)
あけじょー : akejoo | define meaning
akejoo
Definition
Noun
- Diminutive name used to refer to dragonflies or damselflies in general or, more precisely, red dragonflies or damselflies.
Etymology
Cognate with Iwate, Yamagata and Miyazaki あっけ akke and あけず akezu; Kagoshima あけす akesu, あきつ akitsu, あぎつ agitsu, あけじょー akejoo, あーけーじょ aakeejo, あーけーじょー aakeejoo, あけっ akeq, あげっ ageq "red dragonfly"; Okinawa (Kumejima) あけづ akedzu, あーけづ aakedzu, あっけーずー akkeezuu "dragonfly"; Kunigami (Oku) あけーだー akeedaa; Okinawa (Shuri) あーけーじゅー aakeejuu and あーけーじゅ aakeeju; Okinawa (Itoman) あーけーずー aakeezuu; and standard Japanese あきつ【秋津】 akitsu "dragonfly" and its variant あきづ akizu. Ultimately from *aki "Fall, autumn", owing to the prominence of dragonflies during the harvest season in late Summer and early Fall; and *tsu, likely a genitive particle that is now obsolete.
Historical Ryukyuan attestations
- 混効験集 Konkoukenshuu (1711), "Words of the Royal Palace", records "「あけづ」蜻蛉の事／和詞にはあきつと云／日本国の形あきつに似たれは日本の惣名を秋津嶋共秋津國とも申也".
- Essay in Aid of a Grammmar and Dictionary of the Luchuan Language (1895), by Basil Hall Chamberlain, records "Akēdzū, a dragon-fly. (Classical Jap. akitsu-mushi.)".
- 沖縄語典 Okinawa goten (Okinawan language dictionary) (1896), by Masayo Nakamoto, records "「あーけーづー」秋津（アキツ）、蜻蛉（トンボ）".
Spelling
| Orthography | Form |
|---|---|
| Kana | あけじょー |
| Romanization | akejoo |
意味：とんぼ・トンボ【蜻蛉】、あかとんぼ【赤蜻蛉】