🌏 Region(s): Ryukyu (Okinawa)

さんさい【三才】 : sansai | define meaning

sansai

Pronunciation: [san̩sai]

Definition

Noun

The Three Realms (heaven, earth and humanity); the Three Powers

Etymology

Likely borrowed from standard Japanese さんさい【三才】 sansai "the three realms (heaven, earth and humanity)". Ultimately from Chinese 【三才】 "the three realms (heaven, earth and humanity)" (cf. Mandarin sāncái; Cantonese saam1 coi4).

Historical Ryukyuan attestations

沖縄語典 Okinawa goten (Okinawan language dictionary) (1896), by Masayo Nakamoto, records "「さんさい」三才（サンサイ）、天地人のヿ".

Spelling

Orthography	Form
Kanji	三才
Kana	さんさい
Romanization	sansai
Pronunciation (IPA)	[san̩sai]

意味：さんさい【三才】、てんちじん【天地人】

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三才

Tags: Okinawan Language, Uchinaaguchi, Ryukyuan Languages, 沖縄方言, 沖縄語, うちなーぐち, 沖縄口, 琉球方言, 琉球語...

Cite this entry: Read, Zachary. (2025, June 16). さんさい【三才】 : sansai | define meaning. JLect: Japonic Languages and Dialects Database. Retrieved 2025, July 1, from https://www.jlect.com/entry/7230/sansai/.