🌏 Region(s): Ryukyu (Okinawa)
あま : ama | define meaning
ama
Pronunciation: [ʔama]
Definition
Deictic Pronoun
- Distal deictic pronoun used to indicate a location away from both the speaker and the listener. Over there; right over there; that place over there; that way.
- (Polite) He; she; that person (over there); that guy (over there)
Etymology
From the distal deictic pronoun あ a- and the temporal-locative suffix ま -ma.
Historical Ryukyuan attestations
- Essay in Aid of a Grammmar and Dictionary of the Luchuan Language (1895), by Basil Hall Chamberlain, records "Ama, there: ama nakai, there; ama ngkai, hither; ama kara, thence.".
- 沖縄語典 Okinawa goten (Okinawan language dictionary) (1896), by Masayo Nakamoto, records "「あま」彼處（アソコ）".
Spelling
| Orthography | Form |
|---|---|
| Kana | あま |
| Romanization | ama |
| Pronunciation (IPA) | [ʔama] |
意味：あそこ【彼処・彼所・彼處】、あちら・あっち・あち【彼方】、あのかた【あの方・彼の方】
Categories:
あま
Cite this entry: Read, Zachary. (2026, May 19). あま : ama | define meaning. JLect: Japonic Languages and Dialects Database. Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://www.jlect.com/entry/294/ama/.