noun
Buddhist term for quartz or crystal, often appearing in the context of the Seven Treasures (七宝). Rare in everyday language.
七宝の一つとして玻璃が挙げられる。
Quartz is listed as one of the Seven Treasures.
noun
Archaic or literary word for glass; in modern Japanese, ガラス is the standard term. May still appear in classical texts or poetic language.
古い文献では、玻璃がガラスを指すことがある。
In old documents, 玻璃 sometimes refers to glass.
The kanji 玻璃 and 頗梨 are phonetic transcriptions of a Sanskrit word for crystal or glass, introduced through Buddhist texts. The exact derivation is uncertain.