godan verb (-ku), transitive verb
dam up; dam
Rare term for damming a stream or water flow. In modern Japanese, せき止める is far more common.
昔、村人は川を堰いて水田に水を引いた。
Long ago, the villagers dammed the river to draw water into the rice paddies.
Standard kanji spelling for damming water; 堰 means 'dam' or 'weir'.
Rare alternative spelling; 塞 means 'block' or 'obstruct', but 堰く is preferred for damming water.
Kana spelling is acceptable when the kanji is not needed.
The common modern verb for damming or blocking water flow. 堰く is a rare synonym.
The verb せく is related to 堰 (せき, 'dam') and the transitive verb 塞ぐ (ふさぐ, 'to block'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain.