🌏 Region(s): Ryukyu (Okinawa)
じょーじ【象牙】 : jooji | define meaning
jooji
Pronunciation: [d͡ʑoːd͡ʑi]
Definition
Noun
- Ivory
Etymology
Cognate with standard Japanese ぞうげ【象牙】 zouge "ivory". Ultimately from Chinese 【象牙】 "ivory" (cf. (cf. Mandarin xiàngyá; Cantonese zoeng6 ngaa4; Eastern Min chiông-ngà; Hokkien chhiūⁿ-gê, chhiǔⁿ-gê, chhiōⁿ-gêe, chhiāuⁿ-gêe; Sino-Korean 상아 sang'a), reconstructed for Middle Chinese as *zjangX ngae.
Historical Ryukyuan attestations
- 沖縄語典 Okinawa goten (Okinawan language dictionary) (1896), by Masayo Nakamoto, records "「ざうぢ」象牙（ザウゲ）".
Spelling
| Orthography | Form |
|---|---|
| Kanji | 象牙 |
| Kana | じょーじ |
| Romanization | jooji |
| Pronunciation (IPA) | [d͡ʑoːd͡ʑi] |
意味：ぞうげ【象牙】
象牙
Cite this entry: Read, Zachary. (2026, October 10). じょーじ【象牙】 : jooji | define meaning. JLect: Japonic Languages and Dialects Database. Retrieved 2026, October 12, from https://www.jlect.com/entry/7742/jooji/.