玳瑁

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Attested as early as in Lu Jia (陸賈)'s New Discourses (新語 (xīnyǔ)):

• 夫驢騾駱駞，犀象瑇瑁，琥珀珊瑚，翠羽珠玉，山生水藏，擇地而居。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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  夫驴骡骆驼，犀象瑇瑁，琥珀珊瑚，翠羽珠玉，山生水藏，择地而居。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

  From: Lu Jia, Xinyu (A New Discourse), c. 197 BCE

  Fú lǘ luó luòtuó, xī xiàng dàimèi, hǔpò shānhú, cuìyǔ zhūyù, shān shēng shuǐ cáng, zé dì ér jū. [Pinyin]

  Donkeys, mules, camels, rhinoceroses, elephants, hawksbill sea turtles, ambers, corals, kingfishers' fathers, pearls, and jades; they are generated on mountains or stored in the seas; each chooses a place to dwell.

玳瑁

1. hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)

   • 時珍曰：按范成大《虞衡志》云：玳瑁生海洋深處。狀如龜黿而殼稍長，背有甲十三片，黑白斑文，相錯而成。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     时珍曰：按范成大《虞衡志》云：玳瑁生海洋深处。状如龟鼋而壳稍长，背有甲十三片，黑白斑文，相错而成。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Compendium of Materia Medica [Bencao Gangmu], by Li Shizhen, 1578 CE

     Shízhēn yuē: àn Fànchéngdà “Yú héng zhì” yún: dàimào shēng hǎiyáng shēnchù. Zhuàng rú guī yuán ér ké shāo cháng, bèi yǒu jiǎ shísān piàn, hēibái bānwén, xiàngcuò ér chéng. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

2. shell of the hawksbill sea turtle

   • …菩提子三斗、青蓮華廿莖、玳瑁疊子八面、天竺革履二緉… [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     …菩提子三斗、青莲华廿茎、玳瑁叠子八面、天竺革履二𮉧… [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 779 AD, 淡海三船 (Ōmi no Mifune) 《唐大和上東征傳》

     ... pútízǐ sān dǒu, qīnglián huá niàn jīng, dàimào diézǐ bā miàn, tiānzhú gélǚ èr liǎng... [Pinyin]

     […] three jars filled with seedlings of the bodhi tree, twenty stalks of the blue lotus flower, eight dishes made from the shell of the hawksbill sea turtle, two pairs of leather shoes from India […]

Others:

• → Vietnamese: đồi mồi

From Middle Chinese 玳瑁 (MC dojH mwojH).

• (Tokyo) たいまい [tàímáí] (Heiban – [0])[1][2][3]
• IPA^(key): [ta̠ima̠i]

玳(たい)瑁(まい) or 玳瑁(タイマイ) • (taimai) 

1. a hawksbill sea turtle

• 瑇瑁

玳瑁 • (daemo) (hangeul 대모)

1. Hanja form^? of 대모 (“hawksbill sea turtle”).

玳瑁

1. Nôm form of đồi mồi (“hawksbill sea turtle; liver spots”).