noun
A traditional or soft ball, often made of cloth or used in games like handball. Can also refer to modern balls in certain contexts, but ボール is more common for Western-style sports balls.
子供たちはまりをついて遊んでいる。
The children are playing by bouncing a ball.
祖母が布でまりを作ってくれた。
My grandmother made me a cloth ball.
noun
kemari; ancient Japanese football
Only when written 鞠 / 毬
Specifically refers to the traditional court game kemari (蹴鞠), where players kick a deerskin ball and keep it in the air. Restricted to kanji 鞠 and 毬.
See also: 蹴鞠
蹴鞠は平安時代の貴族の遊びです。
Kemari was a pastime of the nobility in the Heian period.
Irregular kanji usage; normally read たま or きゅう. May appear in older or poetic texts.
The word まり is of native Japanese origin, likely related to the verb まる (to round) or the adjective まるい (round). The kanji 鞠 and 毬 are Chinese characters adopted for their meaning 'ball'.