🌏 Region(s): Ryukyu (Okinawa)
とーとーめー : tootoomee | define meaning
tootoomee
Pronunciation: [toːtoːmeː]
Definition
Noun
- A vertical tablet used in East Asian Buddhist traditions to enshrine the spirit of someone who has passed away. They are commonly seen in temples, shrines and household altars. Incense sticks are often burned nearby, and food items may be offered up. Common names include: spirit tablet, ancestral tablet, mortuary tablet, memorial tablet, and spirit seat. The anglicized spelling totome is also seen. (Synonym: いふぇー・いーふぇー【位牌】 ifee ~ iifee)
- The tradition or custom of passing on a spirit tablet, often to the first-born male child.
Etymology
Possibly derived from the Old Japanese term たふと【尊】 tafuto (とうと touto in modern Japanese, considered archaic), meaning something of great value or importance; or its adverbial form たふとく【尊く】 tafutoku (とうとく toutoku or たっとく tattoku in modern Japanese); and めー【前】 mee (Japanese まえ mae), a term used as an affix of respect connoting "before; previous".
意味：いはい【位牌】