Chinese

Noun

蘆薈

1. aloe vera

Japanese

Etymology

/roe/ → /rokwai/ → /rokai/

Originally a borrowing from Latin aloe.

During the Edo period, this plant was known in Japan as roe, as an abbreviation of the Latin-derived genus name Aloe.

The kanji spelling is ateji (当て字), based on the borrowed reading of e for 薈 ‎(official on'yomi of wai and kai, historical kwai), based on the goon reading of e for separate character 會, the lower portion of the 薈 character (and the traditional form of modern 会). Over time, the irregular e reading reverted to the then-official kwai reading, which then shifted to produce modern rokai.^[1][2]

Pronunciation

• On'yomi
• (Tokyo) ろかい [ròkáí] (Heiban - [0])^[2][3]
• IPA^(key): [ɺ̠o̞ka̠i]

Noun

蘆薈 ‎(hiragana ろかい, romaji rokai, historical hiragana ろくわい)

1. (botany) aloe (plant of the genus Aloe)

Usage notes

This term has been mostly superseded in modern Japanese by the re-borrowed term アロエ ‎(aroe).

References

1. ↑ 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
2. 1 2 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9
3. ↑ 1997, 新明解国語辞典 (Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten), Fifth Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13143-0

Okinawan

Etymology

Probably borrowed from mainland Japanese 蘆薈 ‎(rokai). See that entry for more details.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɾuɡʷai/
• IPA^(key): /duɡʷai/

Noun

蘆薈 ‎(hiragana るぐゎい, romaji rugwai, hiragana どぅぐゎい, romaji dugwai)

1. (botany) aloe (plant of the genus Aloe)