玉藻

Japanese

Kanji in this term
玉	藻
たま Grade: 1	も Grade: S
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
珠藻

Etymology

玉(たま) (tama, “ball, orb, gem”) + 藻(も) (mo, “alga, sea weed”).

Noun

玉(たま)藻(も) • (tamamo) 

1. (archaic) Eulogistic name for 藻(も) (mo, “alga, sea weed”).
   • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 6, poem 931:

     鯨魚(いさな)取(とり)　濱(はま)邊(べ)乎(を)清(きよ)三(み)　打(うち)靡(なびき)　生(おふる)玉(たま)藻(も)尓(に)　朝(あさ)名(な)寸(ぎ)二(に)　千(ち)重(へ)浪(なみ)縁(よせ)　夕(ゆふ)菜(な)寸(ぎ)二(に)　五百(いほ)重(へ)波(なみ)因(よす)　邊(へ)津(つ)浪(なみ)之(の)　益(いや)敷布(しくしく)尓(に)　月(つき)二(に)異(け)二(に)　日(ひに)日(ひに)雖見(みとも)　今(いま)耳(のみ)二(に)　秋(あき)足(たら)目(め)八方(やも)　四(し)良(ら)名(な)美(み)乃(の)　五十(い)開(さき)廻有(めぐれる)　住吉(すみよし)能(の)濱(はま) [Man'yōgana]

     鯨魚(いさな)取(と)り　浜辺(はまべ)を清(きよ)み　うち靡(なび)き　生(お)ふる玉(たま)藻(も)に　朝(あさ)なぎに　千(ち)重(へ)波(なみ)寄(よ)せ　夕(ゆふ)なぎに　五百(いほ)重(へ)波(なみ)寄(よ)す　辺(へ)つ波(なみ)の　いやしくしくに　月(つき)に異(け)に　日(ひ)に日(ひ)に見(み)とも　今(いま)のみに　飽(あ)き足(た)らめやも　白波(しらなみ)の　い咲(さ)き廻(めぐ)れる　住吉(すみよし)の浜(はま) [Modern spelling]

     Isana tori hamabe o kiyomi uchinabiki ouru tamamo ni asanagi ni chie-nami yose yūnagi ni ioe-nami yosu he tsu nami no iya shiku-shiku ni tsuki ni ke ni hi ni hi ni mitomo ima nomi ni aki-tarame ya mo shiranami no i-saki-megureru sumiyoshi no hama

     Whale hunting - purifying the beach, on the fluttering, growing gems of algae, to the morning calm, 1000 folds of waves lap, to the evening calm, 500 folds of waves lap; waves of the shore, still more exceptional under the Moon, how can I get bored just now to look at them day by day? Sumiyoshi beach, where whitecaps are blooming around.