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山芋 (やまいも) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

山やま芋いも

や

ま

い

も

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun

Japanese yam; Dioscorea japonica

A wild yam native to Japan, often used in cooking. The term can also refer to related species in the same genus.

See also: 山の芋

山やま芋いもをすりおろしてとろろにした。
I grated the Japanese yam and made tororo.
この山やま芋いもは粘ねばりが強つよい。
This Japanese yam is very sticky.

Written forms

山やま芋いもUsage77%
Standard kanji spelling for the wild yam.
ヤマイモUsage11%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling, often used in botanical or culinary contexts.
山やまいもUsage7%
Mixed kana-kanji spelling, sometimes used for readability.

やまいも

Usage5%

Kanji

山mountain
芋taro, yam, tuber

Similar words

長なが芋いも
長芋 is a cultivated variety of yam, often longer and milder, while 山芋 is typically a wild species with stronger flavor and stickiness.
自じ然ねん薯じょ
自然薯 is another wild yam species (Dioscorea japonica), often considered synonymous with 山芋, though regional usage may vary.

Etymology

Compound of 山 (yama, 'mountain') + 芋 (imo, 'potato, tuber'), literally 'mountain potato'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the name reflects its natural habitat.