射干玉

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
ぬば たま
Grade: 1
Grade: 6 Grade: 6
irregular kun'yomi

From Old Japanese.

The 射干 part, read yakan in Sino-Japanese, refers to the 檜扇 (hiōgi, blackberry lily, Iris domestica).

Pronunciation

  • (Tokyo) ばたま [nùbátámá] (Heiban – [0])[1]
  • IPA(key): [nɯ̟ba̠ta̠ma̠]

Noun

射干(ぬば)(たま) • (nubatama

  1. a blackberry lily seed or fruit, usually one that is jet-black and spherical
Derived terms
  • 射干(ぬば)(たま) (nubatama no, pillow word)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
むば たま
Grade: 1
Grade: 6 Grade: 6
irregular kun'yomi

Appears to be a Heian-period shift of Old Japanese 射干玉 (nubatama) or classical 烏羽玉 (ubatama).

Noun

射干(むば)(たま) • (mubatama

  1. (archaic) a blackberry lily seed or fruit, usually one that is jet-black and spherical
Derived terms

References

  1. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

Old Japanese

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Where did the initial nuba- come from?”)

Noun

射干玉 (nubatama) (kana ぬばたま)

  1. a blackberry lily seed or fruit, usually one that is jet-black and spherical

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Japanese: 射干玉 (nubatama, mubatama), 烏羽玉 (ubatama)