🌏 Region(s): Ryukyu (Okinawa)
しーわー【蘇芳・蘇方・蘇枋】 : shiiwaa | define meaning
shiiwaa
Pronunciation: [ɕiːwaː]
Definition
Noun
- Sappanwood (Biancaea sappan sp.); Indian redwood
Etymology
Cognate with standard Japanese すおう【蘇芳・蘇方・蘇枋】 suou "sappanwood". Ultimately borrowed from Chinese 【蘇枋・苏枋】 "sappanwood" (cf. Mandarin sūfāng; Hokkien so͘-hong), itself borrowed from Malay sepang "sappanwood".
Historical Ryukyuan attestations
- 沖縄語典 Okinawa goten (Okinawan language dictionary) (1896), by Masayo Nakamoto, records "「すィーわー、すぶく」蘇方（スハウ）、蘇枋、蘇芳、まれい語紫色ヲ染ムル染料トス".
Spelling
| Orthography | Form |
|---|---|
| Kanji | 蘇芳 蘇方 蘇枋 |
| Kana | しーわー |
| Romanization | shiiwaa |
| Pronunciation (IPA) | [ɕiːwaː] |
意味：すおう・スオウ【蘇芳・蘇方・蘇枋】、そぼく・ソボク・すぼく・スボク【蘇木】
Categories:
蘇芳
Cite this entry: Read, Zachary. (2026, May 30). しーわー【蘇芳・蘇方・蘇枋】 : shiiwaa | define meaning. JLect: Japonic Languages and Dialects Database. Retrieved 2026, June 1, from https://www.jlect.com/entry/8764/shiiwaa/.