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Words Kanji Guides About

キアイ (きあい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

キアイ

き

あ

い

Meanings

1

noun

anil indigo (Indigofera suffruticosa)

usually written using kana alone

A plant species used for indigo dye; scientific name Indigofera suffruticosa. Also called インド藍.

See also: インド藍

キアイはインド藍あいとも呼よばれる染せん料りょう植しょく物ぶつです。
Kiai is a dye plant also called Indian indigo.

2

noun

Assam indigo (Strobilanthes cusia)

usually written using kana alone

Another indigo plant, Strobilanthes cusia, also known as 琉球藍 (Ryukyu indigo).

See also: 琉球藍

琉りゅう球きゅう藍あいはキアイの一いっ種しゅで、沖おき縄なわで栽さい培ばいされています。
Ryukyu indigo is a type of kiai, cultivated in Okinawa.

Written forms

キアイ
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is standard for this plant name; usually written in kana.
木き藍あい
Kanji spelling is rare and may not be widely recognized; no priority is specified.

Kanji

木tree, wood
藍indigo

Similar words

藍あい
藍 is the general term for indigo and indigo plants, while キアイ refers specifically to these two species.
インド藍あい
インド藍 is a synonym for the first sense of キアイ (Indigofera suffruticosa).
琉りゅう球きゅう藍あい
琉球藍 is a synonym for the second sense of キアイ (Strobilanthes cusia).

Etymology

The word is likely a compound of 木 (ki, 'tree') and 藍 (ai, 'indigo'), but the exact derivation is uncertain. The katakana spelling キアイ is standard in botanical contexts.