亜麻

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 亜麻, read あま, refers to flax, a plant used as a source of fiber.
• Basic usage: With flowers in a field, the focus is on the plant; with cloth, it is on the fiber obtained from it.
  • 祖母は亜麻の布で涼しいシャツを縫った。

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• The plant and the fabric
  • In English, flax mainly names the plant or its fiber, while linen names fabric made from that fiber. 亜麻の布 is a fabric context and is therefore rendered as linen.