See also: 石绵

Chinese

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rock; stone; 10 pecks
cotton; incessant; soft
cotton; incessant; soft; downy
 
trad. (石綿) 綿
simp. (石绵)

Pronunciation

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Noun

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石綿

  1. (chiefly Taiwan) Alternative form of 石棉 (shímián, asbestos)

Japanese

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Etymology 1

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Japanese Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia ja
 
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia
 
石綿 (ishiwata, sekimen): a mineral sample showing naturally occurring asbestos fibers.
Kanji in this term
綿
いし
Grade: 1
わた
Grade: 5
kun’yomi

Compound of (ishi, stone) +‎ 綿 (wata, cotton, batting).[1]

The first appearance of this term is unknown. The material was known in Japan at least as early as 1764, when Rangaku scholar Hiraga Gennai had asbestos cloth created based on Chinese techniques. However, he called this cloth 火浣布 (kakanpu, literally fire + wash + cloth).[1]

Pronunciation

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Noun

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(いし)綿(わた) (ishiwata

  1. asbestos
Usage notes
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When used as a standalone noun, the ishiwata reading appears to be more common.

When used in compounds, the sekimen reading appears to be more common.

Synonyms
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Derived terms
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Etymology 2

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Kanji in this term
綿
せき
Grade: 1
めん
Grade: 5
on’yomi

May be a borrowing from Middle Chinese compound 石綿石绵 (dzyek miɛn, literally stone + wool, cotton). Compare modern Cantonese 石棉 (sek6 min4). (Can this(+) etymology be sourced?)

Alternatively, may have been coined in Japan as a wasei kango (和製漢語) from Middle Chinese-derived elements as a compound of (seki, stone) +‎ 綿 (men, cotton, batting).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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(せき)綿(めん) (sekimen

  1. asbestos
Usage notes
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When used as a standalone noun, the ishiwata reading appears to be more common.

When used in compounds, the sekimen reading appears to be more common.

Synonyms
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Derived terms
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References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典(新装版) [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. 2.0 2.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN