石綿

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

石綿

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

Kanji in this term
石	綿
いし Grade: 1	わた Grade: 5
kun'yomi

Compound of 石 (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]

• (Tokyo) いしわた [ìshíwátá] (Heiban – [0])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [iɕiβ̞a̠ta̠]

石(いし)綿(わた) • (ishiwata) 

1. asbestos

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.

• アスベスト (asubesuto)
• (dated) 石絨(せきじゅう) (sekijū)
• (dated) 温石棉(おんじゃくめん) (onjakumen)

Kanji in this term
石	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 石 (seki, “stone”) +‎ 綿 (men, “cotton, batting”).

• (Tokyo) せきめん [séꜜkìmèǹ] (Atamadaka – [1])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [se̞kʲimẽ̞ɴ]

石(せき)綿(めん) • (sekimen) 

1. asbestos

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.

• アスベスト (asubesuto)
• 石絨(せきじゅう) (sekijū)
• 温石棉(おんじゃくめん) (onjakumen)