🌏 Region(s): Ryukyu (Yonaguni)
てぃ【子・仔・児】 : ti | define meaning
ti
Pronunciation: [ti]
Definition
Noun suffix
- Diminutive suffix. Used especially to denote a small or young person, child, or animal.
- いぬてぃ【犬子】
inu-ti
"small dog; puppy" - あがみてぃ【あがみ子】
agami-ti
"small child; baby"
- いぬてぃ【犬子】
Etymology
Most likely from Chinese 【子・仔】, meaning "child" or "young" and also used as a diminutive suffix for small things. Compare the Mandarin pronunciations zǐ and zi, Cantonese zi2, or the Min Nan forms chír, chú, chí, jí and lí. Presumably, the word would have been borrowed into Yonaguni with the pronunciation [t͡ɕi], which later underwent fortition to [ti].
Spelling
| Orthography | Form |
|---|---|
| Kanji | 子 仔 児 |
| Kana | てぃ |
| Romanization | ti |
| Pronunciation (IPA) | [ti] |
意味：こ【子・仔・児】
子
Cite this entry: Read, Zachary. (2016, November 11). てぃ【子・仔・児】 : ti | define meaning. JLect: Japonic Languages and Dialects Database. Retrieved 2026, October 12, from https://www.jlect.com/entry/4166/ti/.