しーじゃ

Okinawan

Etymology

From Proto-Ryukyuan *soza, *seza, from Proto-Japonic *sosa. Cognate with Kunigami しじゃー (shijā) and Yaeyama しじゃ (shija).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɕiːd͡ʑa/

Noun

しーじゃ (shīja) 

1. older sibling
   1. older brother

      Hypernyms: うふあふぃー (ufu afī), うふっちー (ufutchī), やっちー (yatchī), やっちーぐゎー (yatchīgwā)

      Synonyms: しーじゃゐきー (shīja wikī), 男しーじゃ (ゐきがしーじゃ, wikiga shīja)

   2. older sister

      Hypernyms: うふんみー (ufunmī), しーじゃをぅない (shīja wunai)

      Synonyms: うふあばー (ufu abā), 女子しーじゃ (ゐなぐしーじゃ, winagu shīja)

2. senior

   Synonym: とぅししーじゃ (tushi shīja)

Derived terms

• うっとぅしーじゃ (uttushīja, “siblings”)
• うみしーじゃ (umi shīja, “term used by nobles to address their older brother or senior”)
• うみしーじゃがた (umi shīja gata, “honorific for seniors”)
• しーじゃかた (shīja kata, “senior(s); people in their primes; people in thirties and forties”)
• しーじゃゐきー (shīja wikī, “older brother”)
• しーじゃをぅない (shīja unai, “older sister of a male”)
• とぅししーじゃ (tushi shīja, “senior”)
• 女子(ゐなぐ)しーじゃ (winagu shīja, “older sister; senior woman”)
• 男(ゐきが)しーじゃ (wikiga shīja, “older brother; senior man”)

 

References

• “シージャ” in Okinawa Center of Language Study, Shuri-Naha Dialect Dictionary (archived; reopens 2024).