🌏 Region(s): Ryukyu (Okinawa)
あい【蟻】 : ai | define meaning
ai
Pronunciation: [ʔai]
Definition
Noun
- Ant, ants
Etymology
Cognate with Kagoshima あい ai; Kikai あーにー aanii, あに ani, あい ai and あーいー aaĩĩ; Amami あみ ami; Okinoerabu あに ani; Okinawan あい ai; Yonaguni あや aya; and standard Japanese あり【蟻】 ari "ant".
Historical Ryukyuan attestations
- Essay in Aid of a Grammar and Dictionary of the Luchuan Language (1895), by Basil Hall Chamberlain, records "Ai or Aikō, an ant. (Jap. ari.)".
- 沖縄語典 Okinawa goten (Okinawan language dictionary) (1896), by Masayo Nakamoto, records "「あい」蟻（アリ）".
Spelling
| Orthography | Form |
|---|---|
| Kanji | 蟻 |
| Kana | あい |
| Romanization | ai |
| Pronunciation (IPA) | [ʔai] |
意味：あり【蟻】
Categories:
蟻
Cite this entry: Read, Zachary. (2026, May 17). あい【蟻】 : ai | define meaning. JLect: Japonic Languages and Dialects Database. Retrieved 2026, June 4, from https://www.jlect.com/entry/894/ai/.