also: いべ
most hallowed grounds of a sacred site in Okinawa
Refers to the innermost, most sacred area of an Okinawan utaki (御嶽) or similar sacred place. A culturally specific term; not used in everyday mainland Japanese.
See also: 御嶽 (うたき)
Ordinary people cannot enter the most hallowed grounds of Sefa-utaki.
この島の威部は、昔から神聖な場所とされてきた。
The most hallowed grounds of this island have been considered a sacred place since ancient times.
Alternate reading いべ, likely a dialectal or historical variant; いび is more common.
The exact derivation is uncertain; the kanji 威 (power, authority) and 部 (section, part) are likely ateji for the Okinawan word ibi, which refers to a sacred inner area.