🌏 Region(s): Ryukyu (Okinawa)
まし【増し】 : mashi | define meaning
mashi
Pronunciation: [maɕi]
Definition
Noun
- Better; preferable
- くりやかー、あれーまし【くりやかー、あれー増し】
kuri yakaa, aree mashi
"That one is better than this one" (adapted from Chamberlain, 1895) - ましぇーあらに？【増しぇー有らに？】
mashee arani?
"Won't it be best?" (adapted from Chamberlain, 1895) - ましやくとぅ【増しやくとぅ】
mashi ya kutu
"Because it is better" (adapted from Chamberlain, 1895)
- くりやかー、あれーまし【くりやかー、あれー増し】
Etymology
Cognate with standard Japanese まし【増し】 mashi "better".
Historical Ryukyuan attestations
- Essay in Aid of a Grammar and Dictionary of the Luchuan Language (1895), by Basil Hall Chamberlain, records "mashi [...] better".
Notes
In Okinawan, まし【増し】 mashi is often used in places where standard Japanese would use ほうがいい【方がいい・方が良い】 hou ga ii "(which one) is better, (which one) would you like".
Spelling
| Orthography | Form |
|---|---|
| Kanji | 増し |
| Kana | まし |
| Romanization | mashi |
| Pronunciation (IPA) | [maɕi] |
意味：まし【増し】、ほうがいい【方がいい・方が良い】
増し
Cite this entry: Read, Zachary. (2026, September 27). まし【増し】 : mashi | define meaning. JLect: Japonic Languages and Dialects Database. Retrieved 2026, October 12, from https://www.jlect.com/entry/9194/mashi/.