🌏 Region(s): Ryukyu (Okinawa)
にーせー【二才】 : niisee | define meaning
niisee
Pronunciation: [niːseː~niːɕeː]
Definition
Noun
- (Pejorative) Young man; young fellow; lad
Etymology
Cognate with Kagoshima にせ nise "young man". Most sources connect it to standard Japanese にさい【二才・二歳】 nisai "youth" (compare あおにさい【青二才・青二歳】 aonisai "inexperienced youth, novice, greenhorn"), which in turn is ultimately a compound of にい【新】 nii "new, young" and せい【性】 sei "a person who is".
Historical Ryukyuan attestations
- おもろさうし Omoro Saushi (1531-1623) records "ゑくかにせや", "わうにせ", "きみのにせとのか", "にせとのは" and "ふくりにせ".
- 沖縄語典 Okinawa goten (Okinawan language dictionary) (1896), by Masayo Nakamoto, records "「にーせ𛀁」二歳（ニサイ）、少年ヲ殿ノ駡ルニ用ヰル語".
Notes
Variant: にーしぇー niishee.
Spelling
| Orthography | Form |
|---|---|
| Kanji | 二才 |
| Kana | にーせー |
| Romanization | niisee |
| Pronunciation (IPA) | [niːseː~niːɕeː] |
意味：わかもの【若者】、わこうど・わかびと【若人】、せいねん【青年】、じゃくはい【若輩・弱輩】、しょうねん【少年】
Categories:
二才
Cite this entry: Read, Zachary. (2025, January 18). にーせー【二才】 : niisee | define meaning. JLect: Japonic Languages and Dialects Database. Retrieved 2025, March 14, from https://www.jlect.com/entry/6786/niisee/.