Geta

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of traditional Japanese wooden footwear with elevated soles worn with informal attire ; a style of sandal featuring a thong and raised wooden base ; footwear serving both practical and cultural purposes in Japan
2. Traditional footwear from Japan consisting of wooden platforms supported by two raised blocks ; a sandal form secured with fabric thong, typically paired with informal kimono ; wooden shoes designed to keep feet above dirt or water
3. Japanese wooden sandals elevated with wooden teeth to protect robes and feet ; a distinctive style of open footwear held on the foot by a fabric strap ; customary informal shoes associated with specific forms of dress in Japan

Etymology: The Japanese word 下駄 (geta) is written with characters meaning "under" and "shoe" or "footwear" in its older sense, so a literal reading is something like "what goes below the feet." English borrowed the term directly from Japanese, and it names the raised wooden clogs with a flat platform and two cross-supports (the "ha" teeth) that lift the wearer above wet ground. The shoe's design is what gives the word its shape in English, since the elevated base is the defining feature. The sandal's name has stayed nearly unchanged as it moved into other languages, which is typical of Japanese cultural items that English adopted with little adaptation. The word is used for the footwear itself, not for any similar clog from another culture, so speakers in English who say "geta" are naming a specific Japanese object.

Synonyms: Japanese sandal, wooden clog, footwear, slip-on sandal