天あめ

Written forms

• 天Usage89%iUsage for this spelling across all readings, not one reading alone.
  • あめ

    Standard kanji spelling for the archaic reading あめ, meaning 'sky'.

  • あま

    Alternate reading あま, mostly found in old compounds and poetry.

• あまUsage11%

Etymology

The reading あめ is the older native Japanese word for 'sky', later largely replaced by the Sino-Japanese てん. The alternate reading あま appears in compounds and may reflect an ancient combining form.