🌏 Region(s): Ryukyu (Okinawa)
うる : uru | define meaning
uru
Pronunciation: [ʔuɾu]
Definition
Noun
- Sand; coarse sand
- Gravel
- Coral; coral sand
Etymology
Cognate with Yoron うる uru "coral" and Okinawan うる uru "(coral) sand, gravel". Origin uncertain. Compare Ainu オタ ota "sand".
Historical attestations
- 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 "Coral. Ooru".
- Vocabulary of the language spoken at the Great Loo-Choo Island, in the Japan Sea (1818), by Herbert John Clifford, records "Coral. Oóroo".
- 沖縄語典 Okinawa goten (Okinawan language dictionary) (1896), by Masayo Nakamoto, records "「すィな、うる」砂（スナ）".
Notes
The name of Uruma City (うるま市 Uruma-shi) likely stems from うる uru "sand" and ま ma "place".
Spelling
| Orthography | Form |
|---|---|
| Kana | うる |
| Romanization | uru |
| Pronunciation (IPA) | [ʔuɾu] |
意味：すな【砂】、じゃり・ざり【砂利】、さんご【珊瑚】
うる
Cite this entry: Read, Zachary. (2024, December 16). うる : uru | define meaning. JLect: Japonic Languages and Dialects Database. Retrieved 2025, December 5, from https://www.jlect.com/entry/4516/uru/.