also: なんぴょうよう
Refers to the ocean surrounding Antarctica. In modern usage, 南極海 is more common.
The Antarctic Ocean is the sea surrounding the Antarctic continent.
Standard kanji spelling; the reading なんぴょうよう is a less common variant.
Variant reading; なんひょうよう is the more common pronunciation.
Compound of 南 (south), 氷 (ice), and 洋 (ocean). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with the icy southern ocean.