🌏 Region(s): Ryukyu (Okinawa)
うし【牛】 : ushi | define meaning
ushi
Pronunciation: [ʔuɕi]
Definition
Noun
- Cow; cattle
Etymology
Cognate with Koshikijima うーし uushi; Okinawan (Akajima, Shuri) うし ushi; Yonaguni うち uchi; and standard Japanese うし【牛】 ushi "cow". Possibly related to Korean 소 so "cow; bull; ox" and Old Silla and Old Koguryo 首 *siu "ox".
Historical attestations
- Vocabulary of the language spoken at the Great Loo-Choo island in the Japan Sea (1818), by Herbert John Clifford, records "Cow. Mee Oóshee", "Bull. Woo Oóshee", "Calf. Oóshee gua", "Cheese (literally cow's milk and fat). Oóshee noo * chee quátee", "Ooshee noo chee, the cow's milk", and "Ooshee noo ka, the bullock's skin".
- Voyage of His Majesty's Ship Alceste: Along the Coast of Corea, to the Island of Lewchew, with an Account of Her Subsequent Shipwreck (1818), by John M'Leod, records "Cows. Ooshu".
Spelling
| Orthography | Form |
|---|---|
| Kanji | 牛 |
| Kana | うし |
| Romanization | ushi |
| Pronunciation (IPA) | [ʔuɕi] |
意味：うし【牛】
Categories:
牛
Cite this entry: Read, Zachary. (2025, November 30). うし【牛】 : ushi | define meaning. JLect: Japonic Languages and Dialects Database. Retrieved 2025, December 5, from https://www.jlect.com/entry/2223/ushi/.