檜皮ひわだ

ひ

わ

だ

Meanings

cypress bark; bark of the Japanese cypress

Specifically the bark of the hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa), traditionally used as roofing material in Japanese architecture.

檜皮葺ひわだぶきの屋や根ねは美うつくしい。
A roof thatched with cypress bark is beautiful.
この神じん社じゃの屋や根ねには檜皮ひわだが使つかわれている。
Cypress bark is used for the roof of this shrine.

Kanji

桧Japanese cypress
皮pelt, skin, hide
檜Japanese cypress

Related words

檜ひのき
檜 (ひのき) refers to the Japanese cypress tree itself, while 檜皮 (ひわだ) specifically means its bark.
檜皮葺ひわだぶき
檜皮葺き is the traditional roofing technique using cypress bark; 檜皮 is the material.

Word family

檜皮葺ひわだぶき
cypress bark roofing; hinoki bark thatching

Written forms

檜皮
- ひわだ
  Standard kanji spelling using the common form 檜.
- ひはだ
桧皮Usage100%
- ひわだ
  Variant spelling using the simplified form 桧; also common.
- ひはだ
ひはだ

Etymology

The reading developed from 檜（ひ） and 肌（はだ）, “outer surface; bark,” through voicing and contraction to ひわだ. The spelling 檜皮 expresses the resulting meaning, “cypress bark.”