🌏 Region(s): Ryukyu (Okinawa)
たま【玉・球】 : tama | define meaning
tama
Pronunciation: [tama]
Definition
Noun
- Ball
- Bead
- Jewel
- Bullet
- (Glasses) Lens
- Light bulb
- Testicle
- Glass
Etymology
Cognate with standard Japanese たま【玉・球・珠・弾】 tama "ball".
Historical attestations
- 混効験集 Konkoukenshuu (1711), "Words of the Royal Palace", records "「たまむきやぶり」玉の御冠".
- Vocabulary of the language spoken at the Great Loo-Choo island in the Japan Sea (1818), by Herbert John Clifford, records "Beads. Támma" and "Lantern, glass. Támma-doóroo".
- 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 "Button. Tama".
Spelling
| Orthography | Form |
|---|---|
| Kanji | 玉 球 |
| Kana | たま |
| Romanization | tama |
| Pronunciation (IPA) | [tama] |
意味：たま【玉・球・珠・弾】、ガラス
玉
Cite this entry: Read, Zachary. (2026, August 7). たま【玉・球】 : tama | define meaning. JLect: Japonic Languages and Dialects Database. Retrieved 2026, October 12, from https://www.jlect.com/entry/6763/tama/.