西

Originally a compound of 去に (ini, “going away”, the 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 去(い)ぬ (inu, “to go away”)) + し (shi, “wind; (by extension) direction”, as seen in other ancient-derived words as 嵐 (arashi, “storm”, literally “wild + wind”), 旋風 (tsumuji, “whirlwind”), 東 (higashi, “east”, from older pi muka si, literally “sun + facing + wind/direction”)).
First cited in the Kojiki of 712, with the phonetic spelling 爾斯 (nisi).


月

⟨tuki₂⟩ → */tukɨ/ → */t͡sukɨ/ → /t͡suki/
From Old Japanese 月 (tuki₂), ultimately from Proto-Japonic *tukui.
For the vowel alternation, see WT:AJPX#Standalone forms and combining forms.


愛

From Middle Chinese 愛 (MC 'ojH).
Compare modern Mandarin 愛／爱 (ài).


青

青 (canonical)
Ao (romanization)
Awo (romanization)
あを (hiragana historical)

/sawo/ (uncertain, may be compound as opposed to root) → /awo/ → /ao/
From Old Japanese, ultimately from Proto-Japonic *awo.
Appears as the latter part in older compounds with an -s- infix or prefix. It is unclear if this leading /s/ is indicative of an earlier form (sawo), or if this was an addition for euphony to avoid vowel clusters, or for other reasons. This /s/ is also seen in 雨(あめ) (ame, “rain”, becoming same in old compounds) and 稲(いね) (ine, “rice”, becoming shine in old compounds).
Given that this /s/ only ever appears interstitially, and given the semantics, this /s/ may be cognate with Korean interfix -ㅅ- (-s-) used to mark possession; compare German -s-.


明日

ja-pos

明日(ぬくい) or 明(あけ)日(ひ) or 明(みょう)日(が) or 明(ぬく)日(ひ) or 明(あけ)日(び) • (Nukui or Akehi or Myōga or Nukuhi or Akebi)

明日 (canonical)
明日 (canonical)
明日 (canonical)
明日 (canonical)
明日 (canonical)
Nukui (romanization)
Akehi (romanization)
Myōga (romanization)
Nukuhi (romanization)
Akebi (romanization)


水

水 (canonical)
Mizu (romanization)
Midu (romanization)
みづ (hiragana historical)

⟨mi₁du⟩ → */mʲidu/ → /mid͡zu/ → /mizu/
From Old Japanese. First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE. In turn, from Proto-Japonic *mentu. Ryukyuan cognates support the existence of the first vowel having an initial mid vowel.
Possibly cognate with 瑞 (mizu, “freshness, youth”).
Possible cognate with Proto-Tungusic *mū, Jurchen 木克 (mu-ke /muke/), Manchu ᠮᡠᡴᡝ (muke), Goguryeo 買 (*me, “river; water”), Mongolian мөрөн (mörön, “river”), Korean 물 (mul, “water”).


米

Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Nihon Shoki
man'yōgana

⟨ko₂me₂⟩ → */kəməj/ → /kome/
From Old Japanese. First appears in the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE, with the phonetic man'yōgana spelling 渠梅. In turn, from Proto-Japonic *kəmay.
Many theories exist regarding the ultimate derivation:
* Perhaps from 籠め (kome), the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 籠める (komeru, “do with one's heart”), from the way rice is farmed. The accent of kome in the Heian period is , while kome- in the Heian period is .
* Possibly cognate with Proto-Vietic *kəːm (“cooked rice”), modern cơm.
* Possibly cognate with Proto-Austronesian *Semay and Old Chinese 糜 (OC *mral). However, this is extremely speculative; none of the known derivations from Proto-Austronesian *Semay develop initial /k/, nor is this shift explainable by any known mechanism within Japonic.


米

⟨yo₂nai⟩ → */jənai/ → */jəne/ → /jone/
First attested in the Wamyō Ruijushō (938 CE).
From Proto-Japonic *yənəi; possibly related to 稲 (ine, “rice plant”).
The colloquial sense is derived from the components of the 米 kanji: 八 (hachi, “eight”) + 十 (jū, “ten”) + 八 (hachi, “eight”).


漢

From Middle Chinese 漢 (MC xanH), in reference to the Han Chinese ethnic group.
The sense of man arose from usage in Chinese to differentiate between the “civilized” people of the Han Chinese ethnicity versus other ethnic groups.


氷

氷 (canonical)
Kōri (romanization)
Kofori (romanization)
こほり (hiragana historical)

⟨ko₂pori⟩ → */kəpori/ → /koɸori/ → /kowori/ → /koːri/
From Old Japanese.
The 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 凍る (kōru, “to freeze”).


姫

⟨pi₁ me₁⟩ → */pʲimʲe/ → /fime/ → /hime/
From Old Japanese.
Originally a compound of 日 (hi, “sun”, a prefix or appellation used in reference to the imperial family) + 女 (me, “female person: girl, woman”).


今

Early Middle Japanese
Early Modern Japanese
Kojiki
Late Middle Japanese
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Old Japanese language

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE. From Proto-Japonic *ima. Frellesvig suggests a compound of reconstructed proximal demonstrative *i (compare Middle Korean 이 (i, “this”)) + ma (corresponding to modern 間(ま) (ma, “space”).


一

一 (canonical)
Ichi (romanization)
壱 (alternative)
弌 (alternative)
壹 (alternative)
𪩩 (alternative)

→ Okinawan: 一 (ichi)

Japanese_pitch_accent#Noun ending in 特殊拍+の

/itɨ/ → /it͡sɨ/ → /it͡ɕɨ/
From Middle Chinese 一 (ʔiɪt̚).
Compare modern Hokkien 一 (it).


一

From 始め (hajime, “beginning, first”), the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 始める (hajimeru, “to begin something”).


千

a surname, especially from the line of tea ceremony masters


東京

ja-pos

東(とう)京(きょう) • (Tōkyō) ^(←とうきやう (Toukyau)?)

東京 (canonical)
Tōkyō (romanization)
Toukyau (romanization)
とうきやう (hiragana historical)

→ Dutch: Tokio

→ English: Tokyo

→ Finnish: Tokio

→ French: Tokyo

→ German: Tokio

→ Khmer: តូក្យូ (toukyou)

→ Korean: 동경 (Donggyeong)

→ Norwegian Bokmål: Tokyo

→ Portuguese: Tóquio

→ Russian: То́кио (Tókio)

→ Spanish: Tokio

→ Thai: โตเกียว (dtoo-giao)

→ Vietnamese: Đông Kinh

/tou kʲau/ → /toːkʲɔː/ → /toːkʲoː/
Compound of Middle Chinese-derived elements 東 (tō, “east, eastern”) + 京 (kyō, “capital”).
The city of Tokyo was renamed from 江戸 (Edo) in 1868 after Emperor Meiji moved the capital from Kyoto.


京都

京都 (canonical)
Kyōto (romanization)
Kyauto (romanization)
きやうと (hiragana historical)

→ English: Kyoto

→ Korean: 교토 (Gyoto)

→ Portuguese: Kyoto

→ Russian: Кио́то m (Kióto)

→ Vietnamese: Kinh Đô

Early Modern Japanese
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten

/kjauto/ → /kjɔːto/ → /kjoːto/
From Middle Chinese 京都 (kjaeng tu, literally “capital city”).

京都五山

京都五山 きょうとござん

京都御所

京都御所 きょうとごしょ

京都所司代

京都所司 きょうとしょし

京都代官

京都代官 きょうとだいかん

京都盆地

京都盆地 きょうとぼんち

京都守護

京都守護 きょうとしゅご


七

From Old Japanese 七 (nana), ultimately from Proto-Japonic *nana.


萬

萬 (canonical)
Yorozu (romanization)
Yorodu (romanization)
よろづ (hiragana historical)

⟨yo₂ro₂du⟩ → */jərədu/ → /jorod͡zu/ → /jorozu/
From Old Japanese, first attested in the Kojiki (712 CE). See 万 for more senses.


萬

From Middle Chinese 萬 (MC mjonH). See 万 for more senses.


萬

Likely a shift from ban above. See 万 for more senses.


中国

From 中 (naka, “center, middle”) + 国 (kuni, “country”).


心

/simʉ/ → */ɕimʉ/ → /ɕiɴ/
From Middle Chinese 心 (MC sim).
The Buddhist sense is a translation of Pali and Sanskrit चित्त (citta).


円

円 (canonical)
En (romanization)
Wen (romanization)
ゑん (hiragana historical)

/wen/ → /eɴ/
From Middle Chinese 圓 (MC zjwen|hjwen), with the original sense of "circle, roundness".
The yen sense came much later in the Meiji period, from Chinese 圓 /圆 (yuán), itself from 銀圓 /银圆 (yínyuán, “round silver object(s), especially a piece of eight”). Compare Chinese 元 (yuán, “yuan”) and Korean 원 (won, “Korean won”). Doublet of 元 (gen, “yuan (Chinese currency)”), ユアン (yuan, “yuan (Chinese currency)”), and ウォン (won, “won (Korean currency)”).
The yen became the official currency of Japan in 1871, succeeding the 両 (ryō) and the 文 (mon).


円

ja-pos

円(つぶら) or 円(つむら) or 円(まどか) or 円(まとめ) • (Tsubura or Tsumura or Madoka or Matome)

円 (canonical)
円 (canonical)
円 (canonical)
円 (canonical)
Tsubura (romanization)
Tsumura (romanization)
Madoka (romanization)
Matome (romanization)

円谷 (tsumuraya)


南

南 (canonical)
南 (canonical)
Minami (romanization)

⟨mi₁nami₁⟩ → */mʲinamʲɨ/ → /minami/
From Old Japanese.


南

/namʉ/ → /naɴ/
From Middle Chinese 南 (MC nom).


東

/ɸiŋɡaɕi/ → /ɸiɡaɕi/ → /hiɡaɕi/
Sound shift from hingashi (see Etymology 2 below).
Now the standard word for east.

東音高

Ototaka Higashi, pediatrician known for Chédiak–Higashi syndrome


東

東 (canonical)
Azuma (romanization)
Aduma (romanization)
あづま (hiragana historical)

⟨aduma⟩ → /ad͡zuma/ → /azuma/
From Old Japanese, itself of unknown derivation.


東

東(とう) • (Tō)


東

From Mandarin 東 /东 (dōng).
Compare Wu 東 /东 (ton), Hakka 東 /东 (tûng), Min Nan 東 /东 (tong).


東

Nominalization of the stem of adjective 明らか (akiraka, “clear”).


東

Nominalization of the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 始める (hajimeru, “to begin, start”).


北

北 (canonical)
北 (canonical)
Kita (romanization)

Attributed to Old Japanese, although the exact phonetics are not clear, as the term is not cited in phonetic man'yōgana.
Ultimate derivation unknown.

北一輝


森

From Old Japanese, first attested in the Man'yōshū (c. 759 CE).
Probably cognate with 盛り (mori, “heap, pile”), the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 盛る (moru, “to heap up, to build up into a significant amount”), from the way a forest can look like a heap or mound from a distance.


上

上 (canonical)
Ue (romanization)
Ufe (romanization)
うへ (hiragana historical)

⟨upe₂⟩ → /*upai̯/ → /upe/ → /ufe/ → /uwe/ → /ue/
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *upay.
Unbound apophonic form of uwa, ancient upa (see below).


上

⟨kami₁⟩ → */kamʲi/ → /kami/
From Old Japanese. Already apparent in ancient texts such as the Kojiki (c. 712 CE) and the Man'yōshū (c. 759 CE).
Distinct from 神 (⟨kami₂⟩ → kami, “Shinto deity”).


上

上 (canonical)
Jō (romanization)
Zyau (romanization)
じやう (hiragana historical)

/d͡ʑɨau/ → /d͡ʑɔː/ → /d͡ʑoː/
From Middle Chinese 上 (MC dzyangX|dzyangH).


串

/kusi/ → /kuɕi/
From Old Japanese. Appears in the Nihon Shoki, finished CE 720.
Cognate with 櫛 (kushi, “comb”).


丸

⟨maro₂⟩ → */marə/ → /maru/
Shift from Old Japanese 丸 (maro, see below).


丸

⟨maro₂⟩ → */marə/ → /maro/
From Old Japanese. Appears to be the older form.


丸

丸 (canonical)
Gwan (romanization)
ぐわん (hiragana historical)

/ɡwan/ → /ɡan/
From Middle Chinese 丸 (MC hwan).


丹

From Middle Chinese 丹 (MC tan).
Used in the Man'yōshū (c. 759 CE) as 借音 (shakuon) kana for ⟨ta⟩.


乾

乾 (canonical)
Inui (romanization)
i'nwi (romanization)
いぬゐ (hiragana historical)

From 戌(いぬ) (inu, “10 o'clock direction”) + 亥(い) (i, “11 o'clock direction”).
Orthographic borrowing from Chinese 乾 /干 (“northwest”, Etymology 2).


亘

[β̞a̠ta̠ɾʲi]

From the 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 亘(わた)る (wataru, “to extend over, to spread over”).


光

⟨pi₁kari⟩ → */pʲikari/ → /ɸikari/ → /hikari/
From Old Japanese.
Nominalization of the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 光る (hikaru, “to shine, to glitter, to gleam”).


冠

[kã̠mːɯ̟ɾʲi]

[kã̠mbɯ̟ɾʲi]

The modern spelling. A shift from kōburi above, historical kauburi. Also encountered is kanburi.


出

連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 出(い)づ (izu).


剣

[t͡sɨɾɯ̟ɡʲi]

⟨turuki₁⟩ → */turukʲi/ → /t͡suruɡi/
Shift from Old Japanese turuki, itself of unknown derivation.
A surface analysis suggests that this might be a compound of 釣る, 吊る (tsuru, “to hang, as at one's side”) + ki, but there is no clear etymon for the ki portion. One possibility would be 牙 (“fang”), read as kiba in modern Japanese but also appearing as ki in Old Japanese contexts. Such usage might parallel the combined tooth and blade meanings of the term ha, spelled more specifically as 歯 (“tooth”) and 刃 (“blade”), with these two senses listed as cognates in Japanese dictionaries.
More tentative suggestions have been connections to Austronesian, such as Tagalog suligi (“dart, short spear”) , but such possibilities seem only speculative at present.


劉

劉 (canonical)
Ryū (romanization)
Riu (romanization)
りう (hiragana historical)

(Can we date this quote?), 中華若木詩抄巻之上, archived from the original on 2021-12-12, page 3a:

蜀ノ刘備


力

From Old Japanese, ultimately from Proto-Japonic *tikara. Compound of Old Japanese elements 霊 (chi, “power, life force, essence”) + 柄 (kara, “source, origin”).


原

From Old Japanese. Found in the Man'yōshū, finished some time after 759 CE. Compare Middle Korean ᄇᆞᆯ〮 (pól, “field, plain”), whence modern 벌 (beol).


参

/ɕamʉ/ → /samʉ/ → /saɴ/
From Middle Chinese 參 (MC tshom).


向

向 (canonical)
Mukai (romanization)
Mukafi (romanization)
むかひ (hiragana historical)


唯

/juwi/ → /jui/
From Middle Chinese 唯 (MC ywij).


園

園 (canonical)
En (romanization)
Wen (romanization)
ゑん (hiragana historical)

/wen/ → /eɴ/
From Middle Chinese 園 (MC hjwon).


園

⟨so₂no₂⟩ → */sənə/ → /sono/
From Old Japanese.


垰

A 国字 (kokuji, “Japanese-coined character”).
Compare other kokuji 峠(とうげ) (tōge), 裃(かみしも) (kamishimo).


堀

The 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 掘る (horu, “to dig”).


堺

From 境(さかい) (sakai, “boundary, border”).


境

境 (canonical)
Sakai (romanization)
Sakafi (romanization)
さかひ (hiragana historical)

/sakapi/ → /sakaɸi/ → /sakahi/ → /sakai/
The 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of obsolete verb 境う (sakau, “to divide, to form a boundary between things”).
Some sources further derive the verb as Old Japanese element 境 (saka, “division, border, boundary”) + auxiliary verb ふ (fu) indicating repetition or ongoing state. However, given the semantics, this could also be analyzed as the repetitive or ongoing aspect of Old Japanese-derived verb saku with an underlying meaning of “to split apart, to separate, to put distance between”, spelled variously as 割(さ)く, 裂(さ)く, 離(さ)く, or 放(さ)く, and cognate with 咲(さ)く (saku, “to bloom”, from the idea of the blooms splitting open), 栄(さか)える (sakaeru, “to prosper”, extended from the bloom sense), and 盛(さか)る (sakaru, “to be in prime condition, to prosper, to flourish”).


夏

/natu/ → /nat͡su/
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *natu.


夏

From Middle Chinese 夏 (MC haeX).
The kan'on reading, so likely a later borrowing.


太

太 (canonical)
Ō (romanization)
Ofo (romanization)
おほ (hiragana historical)

Derived from the root word 大 (ō, “great, big”).


夷

⟨emi₁si⟩ → */emʲisɨ/ → /emisə/ → /ebisu/
Shift from Old Japanese 蝦夷 (Emishi), modern Ezo.


奥

Despite the apparent overlap with the modern goon reading of oku that is derived from Middle Chinese, this term is actually rooted in Old Japanese, appearing in the Man'yōshū collection of poetry dating to roughly 759 CE. Cognate with 沖 (oki, “the open sea, offshore”), originally in reference to “somewhere far removed, possibly out of sight”. While oki came to mean “far removed in the wide open → far off shore”, oku instead came to mean “far removed inside → inside, interior”.


子

⟨ko₁⟩ → */kʷo/ → /ko/
From Old Japanese, attested in the Kojiki (712 CE) and the Man'yōshū (c. 759 CE), two of the oldest examples of written Japanese.
Cognate with 蚕 (ko, “silkworm”) and possibly 小 (ko, “little”, diminutive prefix).
Possibly cognate with Goguryeo 仇 (*gu), which appears in an ancient place name with an apparent meaning of child.


宋

ja-pos

宋(そう) • (Sō)


宗

宗 (canonical)
Sō (romanization)
そう (hiragana historical)


実

From Old Japanese. Thought to be originally a compound of 真 (sa, “_([term?])”) + 根 (ne, “root of a plant”).
First appears in the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE in sense 2.


宮

Daijirin
Daijisen
Kyōsuke Kindaichi
ja:松村明

/mi₁ya/ → /miya/
From Old Japanese. A compound of 神 or 御 (mi, “spiritual honorific”) + 屋 (ya, “house”).


小

小 (canonical)
Shō (romanization)
Seu (romanization)
せう (hiragana historical)

/seu/ → /ɕeu/ → /ɕoː/
From Middle Chinese 小 (MC sjewX).
The suffix sense is a clipping of 小学校 (shōgakkō, “elementary school”).


尚

尚 (canonical)
Shō (romanization)
Syau (romanization)
しやう (hiragana historical)

a surname used by the Ryukyu royal family


尚

Nominalization of classical adjective 高し (takashi), modern 高い (takai, “high”).


山

From Old Japanese 山 (yama). First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE.
Reconstructed as deriving in turn from Proto-Japonic *yama (“mountain; forest”).


峠

/tamuke/ → /tauɡe/ → /toːɡe/
Sound shift from 手向け (tamuke, “tribute to a person about to depart”). It is said that these offerings were "given" to them as they traveled into the afterlife, akin to a mountain.


峠

峠 (canonical)
Tōge (romanization)
Tauge (romanization)
たうげ (hiragana historical)


峠

ja-pos

峠(たお) or 峠(たおげ) or 峠(とおげ) or 峠(どうげさき) • (Tao or Taoge or Tōge or Dōgesaki)

峠 (canonical)
峠 (canonical)
峠 (canonical)
峠 (canonical)
Taoge (Tao)
Tōge (Tao)
Dōgesaki (Tao)
たおげ (hiragana)


峰

From 御(み) (mi, honorific prefix) + 峰(ね) (ne, “peak”), in reference to the 神 (kami, “god or spirit”) at the top of a mountain. Now the standard spelling for a peak.
Compare 道 (michi, “road”).


島

/sima/ → /ɕima/
From Old Japanese, ultimately from Proto-Japonic *sima.
Possibly related to Baekje 斯麻 (*syema, “island”) and Middle Korean 셤 (syem), whence modern Korean 섬 (seom, “island”).


崖

Probably from 岸 (kishi, “shore, bank (of a body of water)”).


嵐

/arasi/ → /araɕi/
From Old Japanese.
Derivation theories include:
* Compound of 荒ら (ara, “desolate, sparse”, archaic) + 風 (shi, “wind”, obsolete).
* From 荒らし (arashi, “destroyer”), the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 荒らす (arasu, “destroy, ruin”).
* Apophonic form of 颪 (oroshi, “wind blowing down from the mountains”).


巴

巴 (canonical)
Tomoe (romanization)
Tomowe (romanization)
ともゑ (hiragana historical)

First attested around the 12th century.
Originally a compound of 鞆 (tomo, “archer's left-wrist protector”) + 絵 (e, “picture, drawing”).
The use of the 巴 kanji is possibly for its resemblance to a big snake.


平

⟨pi₁ra⟩ → /pʲira/ → /ɸira/ → /hira/
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *pira.


平

平 (canonical)
Taira (romanization)
Tafira (romanization)
たひら (hiragana historical)

⟨tapi₁ra⟩ → /tapʲira/ → /taɸira/ → /tawira/ → /taira/
Nominalization of adjective 平ら (taira, “flat, level”).

Chrysanthemum Throne
Chrysanthemum Throne

a surname, especially of those descended from imperial lineage ineligible for the Chrysanthemum Throne:

the 桓武平氏 (Kanmu Heishi), from Emperor Kanmu

the 仁明平氏 (Ninmyō Heishi), from Emperor Ninmyō

the 文徳平氏 (Montoku Heishi), from Emperor Montoku, and

the 光孝平氏 (Kōkō Heishi), from Emperor Kōkō


平

平 (canonical)
Osamu (romanization)
Wosamu (romanization)
をさむ (hiragana historical)

Nominalization of classical verb おさむ (osamu), modern おさめる (osameru, multiple definitions in kanji).


平

Nominalization of classical adjective 等し (hitoshi), modern 等しい (hitoshii, “equal, same”).


平

Nominalization of classical adjective 良し (yoshi), modern 良い (yoi, “good, fine”).


幸

幸 (canonical)
Kō (romanization)
Kau (romanization)
かう (hiragana historical)

/kau/ → /kɔː/ → /koː/
From Middle Chinese 幸 (hɛng^X, literally “lucky, fortunate, auspicious”). The kan'on, so a later borrowing.


庭

庭 (canonical)
Niwa (romanization)
Nifa (romanization)
には (hiragana historical)

/nipa/ → /nifa/ → /niwa/
From Old Japanese.


庵

庵 (canonical)
Iori (romanization)
Ifori (romanization)
いほり (hiragana historical)

/ipori/ → /ifori/ → /ihʷori/ → /iori/
From Old Japanese.
The 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 庵(いお)る (ioru, “to reside in a temporary hut”, obsolete). Likely derived from io (see below).


庵

/am/ → /amu/ → /aɴ/
From Middle Chinese 庵 (MC 'om).


応

/ou/ → /oː/
From Middle Chinese 應 (MC 'ingH).


恵

Nominalization of the 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 恵(めぐ)む (megumu, “to give (in charity); to bless, to be kind”).


政

政 (canonical)
Matsurigoto (romanization)

Possibly from Old Japanese.
Originally a compound of 祭り (matsuri, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 祭る (matsuru), “to enshrine, worship”) + 事 (koto, “matter, thing”). The koto changes to goto as an instance of rendaku (連濁).


斎

From Old Japanese.
Nominalization of the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 斎く (itsuku, “to worship”).


斎

斎 (canonical)
Iwai (romanization)
Ifafi (romanization)
いはひ (hiragana historical)


新

/sin/ → /ɕin/
From Middle Chinese 新 (MC sin).
Compare modern Mandarin 新 (xīn), Hakka 新 (sîn), Min Nan 新 (sin), and Wu 新.


新

From Old Japanese.
Extension of 粗(あら), 荒(あら) (ara, “crude, raw”).


新

Nominalization of adjective 新た (arata, “new”).


星

/posi/ → /ɸoɕi/ → /hoɕi/
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *pəsi.


晋

晋 (canonical)
晉 (alternative)
㬜 (alternative)

*/t͡sin/ → /siɴ/ → /ɕiɴ/
From Middle Chinese 晉 (MC tsinH).


暁

⟨aka to₂ki₁⟩ → */akatəkʲi/ → /akat͡suki/
Shift from Old Japanese 曉 (akato₂ki₁).
Originally a compound of 明か (aka, the 未然形 (mizenkei, “incomplete form”) of verb 明く (aku), “to open”) + 時 (toki, “time, moment, hour”).


朧

Daijisen
Extended shinjitai
The Tales of Ise
ja:松村明

Appears to be 凡 (obo, “dim, faint; hazy, indistinct”) + ろ (-ro, suffix apparently indicating general location or time, as in 所 (tokoro, “place”), 頃 (koro, “around (a specific time)”); compare ら (ra)).
The food-related senses may come from the way these dishes involve breaking up the main ingredients into smaller indistinct pieces.
First attested in The Tales of Ise from the early 900s.


杉

From Old Japanese 杉 (sugi₂), which Miyake (1997) (apud Schuessler, 2007) associates with Old Chinese 松 (OC *sɢloŋ). Ultimately comes from reconstructed Proto-Japonic *sunkOi.
First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE.


杣

⟨so₁ma⟩ → */sʷoma/ → /soma/
From Old Japanese.


来

From Middle Chinese 來 (MC loj).
Compare modern Mandarin 來／来 (lái).

a surname, especially of those descended from swordsmiths arriving from Goryeo around the mid-Kamakura period


松

Kojiki
Kyūjitai
Man'yōshū
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Shinjitai
Tōkyō
Ōsaka

From Old Japanese. Attested in the Kojiki of 712 and the Man'yōshū of 759. In turn, from Proto-Japonic *matu.
Various theories exist regarding its ultimate origin:
* Might be a shift from 保つ (tamotsu, “to hold”). However, the accent of 保つ (tamotsu) in the Heian period is HHL, while 松 (matsu) is LH. It can be better derived from 持つ (motsu, “to hold, to carry”), which has LF accent in the Heian period.
* Might be from 待つ (matsu, “to wait”), either from the way that a pine tree must wait for leaves to fall to grow new ones, or from the way that it lasts ten thousand years and preserves its color. The accent of 待つ (matsu) is LF.
* Possibly derived from 全く (mataku, “entirely”), from 全い (matai, “complete”), because it spends its time in the snow for winter. However, the classical term 全し (matasi) is HHF in the Heian period.
* From 睫毛 (matsuge, “eyelashes”), since their leaves represent such. However, it requires deletion of the -ge, and matsuge is certainly from 目 (ma-, “eye”).
* From 真常木 (matonoki, “true eternal tree”), as the pine tree is an evergreen tree.
* From a place name 松のむらたち (MATSU no muratachi), as opposed to muratatsu.
* From 芽厚 (meatsu, literally “bud (that feels) hot”).
* From 纏わる (matsuwaru, “get wrapped around”), as the leaves are around the trunk.
* From 真 (ma-, “true”) + つ (tsu, abbreviation of 約まる (tsuzumaru, “to shrink”)).
* From 間千 (machi, literally “space (of) thousands”).
* A shift from 股 (mata, “crouch”), as the pine tree leaves split into two.


林

From Old Japanese. First mentioned in the Man'yōshū, completed in 759 CE.
Derives from the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 生やす (hayasu, “to grow”). The root verb is in the transitive form, suggesting that the original sense of hayashi may have indicated a deliberately planted or managed grove.


林

/rimʉ/ → /riɴ/
From Middle Chinese 林 (MC lim).


柊

柊 (canonical)
Hīragi (romanization)
Fifiragi (romanization)
ひひらぎ (hiragana historical)

[Alt: Osmanthus heterophyllus]
⟨pi₁pi₁ra ki₂⟩ → */pʲipʲiraɡʷi/ → /fifiraɡi/ → /hiwiraɡi/ → /hiːraɡi/
From Old Japanese, first attested in the Kojiki (712 CE).
Appears to derive as the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of now-obsolete verb 疼ぐ (hīragu, “to hurt with a stinging pain”), in reference to the sharp thorns on the leaves.


柊

Daijisen Kyūjitai Shinjitai Tōkyō ja:松村明

/hiːraɡi/ → /hiraɡi/
Shift from hīragi above.


柚

From Middle Chinese 柚 (MC yuwH). The goon pronunciation, so likely an earlier borrowing.
Found in the Wamyō Ruijushō:
:柚 爾雅集注云柚（音由又以臰反）一名樤（音條和名由）...
where 由 is the man'yōgana form of ゆ.

lang

柚　爾雅集注云柚（音由又以臰反）一名樤（音條和名由）...

柚 爾雅集注云柚（音由又以臰反）一名樤（音條和名由）...


柚

ja-pos

柚(ゆう) • (Yū)

/iu/ → /juː/
Probably from Middle Chinese 柚 (MC yuwH). The kan'on pronunciation, so likely a later borrowing.
Found in the Wakan Sansai Zue.


柳

柳 (canonical)
Ryū (romanization)
Riu (romanization)
りう (hiragana historical)


柵

From Middle Chinese 柵 (MC tsrhjaek).
Compare modern Cantonese 柵 /栅 (caak³).


柵

⟨siɡarami₁⟩ → /siɡaramʲi/ → /ɕiɡarami/
The 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 柵む (shigaramu, “to entangle”).


柿

From Old Japanese. First cited to a text from 770 CE.
Further derivation uncertain. Possibilities include:
: /kakayaki/ → */kakyaki/ → */kakaki/ → */kakki/ → /kaki/
:* From 輝き (kakayaki), the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of Early Modern Japanese verb 輝く (kakayaku, “to shine dazzingly”, obsolete), modern kagayaku.
: /kataki/ → /kaki/
:* From 硬き (kataki), the classical 連体形 (rentaikei, “attributive form”) of modern 硬い (katai, “hard (not soft)”), from the hardness of the unripened fruit.
: /akaki/ → /kaki/
:* From 赤き (akaki), the classical 連体形 (rentaikei, “attributive form”) of modern 赤い (akai, “red”), from the color of the ripened fruit.
:* From 赤黄 (akaki, “red-yellow”), from the color of the ripened fruit.
:* From 赤木 (akaki, “red tree”), from the color of the foliage in autumn.
While at least one reference considers the akaki derivation more likely, this kind of phonological shift, wherein the first vowel disappears, is not a common pattern in attested Japanese. That said, the kakayaki and kataki derivations are also problematic, considering the lack of any evidence for intermediary forms.

align

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栄

Nominalization of the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative from”) of verb 栄える (sakaeru, “to thrive”).


桂

From Old Japanese. Originally a compound of 香 (ka, “fragrance, good smell”) + 出 (zu, “to come out, to put something out”) + ら (ra, nominalizing suffix): "that which puts out a good smell", from the way the wood smells good.

compound

桂飴: a type of sweet traditionally sold in villages in the mountains around Kyōto Prefecture

桂鮎: ayu caught in the Katsura River in Kyōto

桂巻: a style of women's head wrapping popular during the Muromachi Period

using a long piece of cloth tied in front above the forehead

桂宮: one of the four 親王家

branches of the Imperial Family of Japan which were eligible to succeed to the Chrysanthemum Throne in the event that the main line should die out

a woman selling of katsura ayu and katsura ame in areas around old Kyōto

a prostitute from the village of Katsura near Kyōto

a noblewoman's bridesmaid in ancient Japan


桐

From Old Japanese. The tree may have been imported from China prior to the Nara period.
The term might be from 切り (kiri, “cutting”), from the way that the tree is quick to send out shoots after being cut.
Some sources also speculate that this might be from some term 木理 (*kiri, “wood grain”) in reference to the desirable grain of this wood. However, 木理 is only attested with the reading mokuri, not kiri; also, the term is not attested until the 1830s, before which the Japanese terms for wood grain were 木目 (mokume, from the mid-1500s) or 木目 (kime, from the 1200s).


桜

桜 (canonical)
桜 (canonical)
Sakura (romanization)

From Old Japanese, first attested in the Kojiki, the oldest extant historical record of ancient Japan, compiled in 712 CE.
Originally derived from 咲く (saku, “to bloom, burst open”) + 等 (-ra, nominalizing and pluralizing suffix).


梅

Daijisen
Heian period
Kyūjitai
Shinjitai
Tōkyō
ja:松村明
Ōsaka

⟨me₂⟩ → */mːəɨ/ → *⟨mume₂⟩ → ⟨ume₂⟩ → */uməɨ/ → /ume/
From Old Japanese.
Probably ultimately from Middle Chinese 梅 (MC mwoj), with the borrowed me reading gaining a pronounced kind of initial m- sound, perhaps realized as *mme. The phonetic spelling was often rendered as むめ (*mme, mume) from the Heian period, with *mme/mume and ume apparently existing in free variation. The reading eventually settled on うめ (ume). Compare the similar pattern of phonetic shift for 馬 (ma → *mma → muma → uma, “horse”), likely from Middle Chinese 馬 (MC maeX).


梅

From a later borrowing of Middle Chinese 梅 (MC mwoj).


梓

梓 (canonical)
Azusa (romanization)
Adusa (romanization)
あづさ (hiragana historical)

/adusa/ → /ad͡zusa/ → /azusa/
From Old Japanese.


梢

梢 (canonical)
Kozue (romanization)
Kozwe (romanization)
こずゑ (hiragana historical)

Originally a compound of 木 (ko, “tree”, combining form) + 末 (sue, “tip, end”).
The sue changes to zue as an instance of rendaku (連濁).


棗

From Old Japanese. Originally a compound of 夏 (natsu, “summer”) + 芽 (me, “bud, sprout”).


椛

椛 (canonical)
椛 (canonical)
Kaba (romanization)
Momiji (romanization)


椿

⟨tubaki₁⟩ → */tubakʲi/ → /t͡subaki/
From Old Japanese.


榊

The initial saka is cognate with verb 栄える (sakaeru, “to prosper, thrive”), while the final ki is definitely 木 (ki, “tree”).


榎

Compound of 榎 (e, “Chinese hackberry”) + の (no, possessive particle) + 木 (ki, “tree”). Compare the similar formation of various other tree names, such as 楠 (kusu, “camphor; camphor tree”) and 楠 (kusunoki, “camphor tree”).


槍

The 連用形 (ren'yōkei, stem or continuative form) of 遣る (yaru, “to do, execute → to kill”).


橘

Emperor Suinin
Kojiki
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Nihon Shoki
Tajimamori
ja:垂仁天皇
ja:田道間守

From Old Japanese 橘 (tatibana). First cited in the Kojiki of 712.
According to the Nihon Shoki in a section describing the 90th year of the reign of the legendary 垂仁天皇 (Suinin Tennō, “Emperor Suinin”, traditionally regarded as living from 69 BCE – 70 CE and reigning from 29 BCE – 70 CE), a legendary figure named 田道間守 (Tajimamori) was tasked with bringing back from the heavens a 非時香菓 (tokijiku no kagu no konomi, literally, “timeless fragrant tree-fruit”; the same incident is also included in the Kojiki). This is often interpreted to be a reference to tachibana, but the text itself is not specific.
A surface analysis suggests that this is a compound of 立ち (tachi, “standing”, from verb 立つ (tatsu, “to stand”)) + 花 (hana, “flower”).
Shortened to tachi for some compounds.

from verb <i class="Jpan mention" lang="ja">立つ</i> (tatsu, “to stand”)


檜

Jōdai Tokushu Kanazukai
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten

Originally a compound of 檜 (hi, “Japanese cypress”, see below) + の (no, attributive particle) + 木 (ki, “tree”).
The wood and bark was commonly used as tinder, and the term was previously thought to be from 火 (hi, “fire”) + の (no, attributive particle) + 木 (ki, “tree”). However, later research into ancient kana usage in Old Japanese revealed that 檜 had a reading of ⟨pi₁⟩, while 火 was read as ⟨pi₂⟩, ruling out this derivation.


江

Early Middle Japanese
Edo period
Yebisu
hentaigana

/je/ → /e/
From Old Japanese. The ye pronunciation merged with e in Early Middle Japanese. The merged sound was ye until the Edo period, which is found in Yedo, yen and Yebisu.
This term was so representative of the ye reading that it lent its shape to the hentaigana 𛀁 (ye).


江

江 (canonical)
Kō (romanization)
Kau (romanization)
かう (hiragana historical)

/kau/ → /kɔː/ → /koː/
From Middle Chinese 江 (MC kaewng).
The 漢音 (kan'on) reading, so likely a later borrowing.


江

ja-pos

江(ごう) • (Gō)


池

/tʲie/ → /ti/ → /t͡ɕi/
From Middle Chinese 池 (MC drje).
Used in Old Japanese as 借音 (shakuon) kana for ⟨ti⟩ in the Nihon Shoki (720 CE).


沢

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *sapa.


泉

泉 (canonical)
Izumi (romanization)
Idumi (romanization)
いづみ (hiragana historical)

Daijirin
Daijisen
Kyōsuke Kindaichi
Man'yōshū
Yotsugana
ja:松村明

/idumi/ → /id͡zumi/ → (for most modern Japanese dialects; see also Yotsugana) /izumi/
From Old Japanese. Found in the Man'yōshū, completed some time after 759 CE.
Compound of 出づ (ancient reading idu, modern izu, “to come out”) + 水 (mi, “water”).


洋

洋 (canonical)
Yō (romanization)
Yau (romanization)
やう (hiragana historical)

/jɨau/ → /jɔː/ → /joː/
From Middle Chinese 洋 (MC yang). Compare modern Mandarin 洋 (yáng).


洋

From Old Japanese. Found in the Man'yōshū, completed some time after 759 CE.


洋

Nominalization of the 終止形 (shūshikei, “terminal form”) of classical adjective 広し (hiroshi), modern 広い (hiroi, “vast, wide”).


浜

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *pama. First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE.


清

From classical adjective 清し (kiyoshi), modern 清い (kiyoi, “clear”).


渚

⟨naɡi₁sa⟩ → */naɡʲisa/ → /naɡisa/
From Old Japanese.
Possibly a compound of 凪ぎ (nagi, “calming, dying down”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 凪ぐ (nagu, “to calm down, to die down”, as of waves or wind), cognate with 和やか (nagoyaka, “calm, quiet”)) + 磯 (sa, “rocky shore, pebble beach”), where sa is an ancient alternative for so, the abbreviated combining reading of modern 磯 (iso), cognate with 石 (ishi, “rock, stone”).


温

温 (canonical)
On (romanization)
をん (hiragana historical)


源

Derived from 水 (mi, “water”, combining form) + な (na, Old Japanese possessive particle) + 元, 本 (moto, “origin, source”).
Vovin believes that the na in the initial mina- element is not a genitive particle, but rather actually meant "water", contending that the mi was instead the honorific prefix 御 (mi-). See also 港 (minato, “sluice; port”).

a surname, especially those who are descendants of Emperor Saga


潮

潮 (canonical)
Shio (romanization)
Sifo (romanization)
しほ (hiragana historical)

/sipo/ → /ɕifo/ → /ɕiwo/ → /ɕio/
From Old Japanese.


潮

潮 (canonical)
Ushio (romanization)
Usifo (romanization)
うしほ (hiragana historical)

/usipo/ → /usipo/ → /uɕifo/ → /uɕiwo/ → /uɕio/
From Old Japanese, first attested in the Kojiki (712 CE).


猪

ja-pos

猪(いのしし) • (Inoshishi) ^(←ゐのしし (Winosisi)?)

猪 (canonical)
Inoshishi (romanization)
Winosisi (romanization)
ゐのしし (hiragana historical)

Compound of 猪 (i, “pig, boar”, see below) + の (no, possessive particle) + 獣 (shishi, “beast”, archaic).


猪

Kojiki
Kyūjitai
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Shinjitai

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE. From Proto-Japonic *sisi. Cognate with 肉 (shishi, “meat of a beast”).


珍

ja-pos

珍(めずらし) • (Mezurashi) ^(←めづらし (Medurasi)?)

珍 (canonical)
Mezurashi (romanization)
Medurasi (romanization)
めづらし (hiragana historical)

From the Old Japanese and classical Japanese 終止形 (shūshikei, “terminal or sentence-ending form”) of modern adjective 珍しい (mesurashii, “novel, curious, rare”).
Perhaps fittingly, the name itself is unusual.


琴

Kojiki
Man'yōshū
Nara period
Nihon Shoki

⟨ko₂to₂⟩ → */kətə/ → /koto/
From Old Japanese, attested in the three major literature works of the Nara period: the Kojiki (712 CE), the Nihon Shoki (720 CE), and the Man'yōshū (c. 759 CE).
Possibly derived from a compound of elements 木 (ko, “tree, wood”, combining form) + 音 (oto, “sound”), with the additional medial o dropped by haplology.


琴

/kimʉ/ → /kiɴ/
From Middle Chinese 琴 (MC gim). The kan'on pronunciation, so likely a later borrowing.

箏: a Chinese zither similar to the Japanese koto


甄

Ultimately from Middle Chinese 甄 (MC tsyin|kjien).


田

From Old Japanese. Appears in the Kojiki written in roughly 711-712. In turn, from Proto-Japonic *ta.


男

男 (canonical)
Otoko (romanization)
Wotoko (romanization)
をとこ (hiragana historical)

⟨woto₂ko₁⟩ → */wotəkʷo/ → /wotoko/ → /otoko/
From Old Japanese.
Derived from おと (oto, “young?”, cognate with Old Japanese 復つ (wotu → otsu, “to become young again”)) + 子 (ko, “child”).
Compare 少女 (otome, “young woman”).

com

cognate with Old Japanese <i class="Jpan mention" lang="ojp">復つ</i> (wotu → otsu, “to become young again”)


町

From Old Japanese, with the original meaning of "plot of land"; in turn, likely borrowed from an ancestor to Middle Korean 맡 (math, “field”).
All Japanese etymological theories base the etymology on the meaning of "town; section of a castle town", typically using 道 (chi, michi, “road”), but a Korean borrowing is more plausible given the earlier semantics in Old Japanese.


皇

⟨sume₁ro₂ki₁⟩ → */sumʲerəkʲi/ → */sumeraki/ → /sumeraɡi/
Possibly a shift from Old Japanese 天皇 (sume₁ro₂ki₁).


研

研究: research, investigate研究者: researcher研究室: laboratory研究員: research fellow, lab worker研究所


硲

A 国字 (kokuji, “Japanese-coined character”)


祈

Nominalization of the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 祈る (inoru, “to pray, to hope for”).


祐

祐 (canonical)
Yū (romanization)
Iu (romanization)
いう (hiragana historical)

*/ɣɨu/ → /jɨu/ → /juː/
From Middle Chinese 祐 (MC hjuwH).


祥

祥 (canonical)
Shō (romanization)
Syau (romanization)
しやう (hiragana historical)

/sɨau/ → /sʲɨɔː/ → /sjɔː/ → /sjoː/
From Middle Chinese 祥 (MC zjang).


禅

→ English: Zen

→ French: zen

→ German: Zen

→ Spanish: Zen

→ Thai: เซน (seen), เซ็น (sen)

Shortened from 禅那 (zenna, “Zen meditation practice”), from Middle Chinese 禪那 (MC dzyen na), a transliteration of Sanskrit ध्यान (dhyāna, “profound meditation”). Compare Pali jhāna.


種

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *tanay.


稲

Man'yōshū
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Oryza sativa
ja:イネ

⟨i₁ne⟩ → /ine/
From Old Japanese. Attested in the Man'yōshū of circa 759 CE. In turn, from Proto-Japonic *inay.
Possibly related to 米 (yone, “rice (husked grains of the Asian rice plant, Oryza sativa)”).


稲

稲 (canonical)
Ina (romanization)
いな (hiragana historical)

From Old Japanese.
Commonly found in compounds, rarely in isolation.


竜

竜 (canonical)
Ryū (romanization)
Ryuu (romanization)
りゆう (hiragana historical)


笑

笑 (canonical)
Emi (romanization)
Wemi (romanization)
ゑみ (hiragana historical)

The 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 笑む (emu, “to smile; to bloom”).


箏

箏 (canonical)
Sō (romanization)
Sau (romanization)
さう (hiragana historical)

/sau/ → /sɔː/ → /soː/
From Middle Chinese 箏 (MC tsreang).
The kan'on reading, so likely the initial borrowing.


籠

Appears to be derived from a compound of an uncertain element ka and 籠 (ko) below, with ko changing to go as an instance of rendaku (連濁).


粂

A 国字 (kokuji, “Japanese-coined character”), from 久 (ku) + 米 (me) (the surname 久米 (kume)). Compare 麿(まろ) (maro), 杢(もく) (moku).


粽

Compound of 茅(ち) (chi, short for chigaya, "cogon") + 巻(まき) (maki, “wrapping”).
Originally, rice cakes were wrapped in leaves from cogon grass.


紅

ja-pos

紅(くれない) • (Kurenai) ^(←くれなゐ (Kurenawi)?)

紅 (canonical)
Kurenai (romanization)
Kurenawi (romanization)
くれなゐ (hiragana historical)

⟨kure no₂ awi⟩ → /kurenawi/ → /kurenai/
From Old Japanese.
Shift from 呉の藍 (Kure no ai), itself a compound of 呉 (Kure, “China”) + の (no, possessive particle) + 藍 (ai, “indigo → dye”)). The safflower, from which the crimson dye was extracted, was brought to Japan from China.


紅

*/peni/ → /beni/
First attested in The Pillow Book, completed in 1002.
Shift from *heni, attested in the Wamyō Ruijushō (938 CE) with the original sense of "rouge".
The ni is definitely 丹 (ni, “red earth, cinnabar”), while the initial pe/be remains uncertain.


紫

From Old Japanese.
Possibly a compound of 群 (mura, “gathering, group”) + 咲き (saki, “blooming”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 咲く (saku), “to bloom”).


紬

[t͡sɨmɯ̟ɡʲi]

The 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 紡ぐ (tsumugu, “to spin”).


経

経 (canonical)
Kyō (romanization)
Kyau (romanization)
きやう (hiragana historical)

/kʲeu/ → /kjau/ → /kjɔː/ → /kjoː/
From Middle Chinese 經 (MC keng|kengH). The goon reading, so likely the initial borrowing.
The Buddhist senses are a translation of Sanskrit सूत्र (sūtra, literally “string, thread”) or Pali sutta (literally “string, thread”).


経

From Middle Chinese 經 (MC keng|kengH). The kan'on reading, so likely a later borrowing.


経

From Old Japanese.
The 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 経つ (tatsu, “to elapse; to burn out, said of a candle or oil”), itself cognate with 立つ (tatsu, “to stand”).


緑

From Old Japanese. Originally referred to new buds and shoots, later expanding via metonymy to mean green.


羽

Appears in the Wamyō Ruijushō of 938 CE.
Compound of 羽 (ha, “feather”, see below) + 根 (ne, “root”), originally referring specifically to where the quill of a feather attaches to the skin. Over time, the meaning broadened to refer to a feather, and from there, to refer to a wing.


翫

ja-pos

翫(いとう) • (Itō)


翼

/tubasa/ → /t͡subasa/
From Old Japanese.
Possibly a shift from a compound of 鳥(と) (to, “bird”) + 総(ふさ) (fusa, “tassel”).


芝

From Old Japanese. One of the oldest attested words in the Japanese language, used in the Man'yōshū and Nihon Shoki.
This character usually means a type of fungus in Chinese. However, it was also used phonetically in 芝麻 (*chimæ, “sesame”) (modern Mandarin 芝麻 (zhīmá)), and it seems that the Japanese use of this character for the sense of grass may have come from this sesame sense in Chinese.


苫

⟨to₂ma⟩ → */təma/ → /toma/
Likely from Old Japanese.
Possibly derived from the verb 泊(と)まる (tomaru, “to stay”), or from 止(と)まる (tomaru, “to stop”), in reference to thatched roofs under which boats or people stay, or which stop falling rain. Other suggested sources include 鳥羽(とは) (toha, “bird's wing; feather”) or 戸(と) (to, “door; house”) + 衣(も) (mo, “clothing; covering”).


茜

From Old Japanese.
Originally a compound of 赤 (aka, “red”) + 根 (ne, “root”).


菅

菅 (canonical)
Kan (romanization)
Kwan (romanization)
くわん (hiragana historical)

/kʷan/ → /kan/
From Middle Chinese 菅 (MC kaen).


華

華 (canonical)
Ka (romanization)
Kwa (romanization)
くわ (hiragana historical)

/kua/ → /kʷa/ → /ka/
From Middle Chinese 華 (MC hwae).


華

Kyūjitai
Old Japanese language
Proto-Japonic language
Shinjitai
Tōkyō
Ōsaka

/pana/ → /fana/ → /hana/
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *pana.


葵

葵 (canonical)
Aoi (romanization)
Afufi (romanization)
あふひ (hiragana historical)


蓮

Daijirin
Kyūjitai
Nelumbo nucifera
Shinjitai
Tōkyō
ja:ハス

Originally a compound of 蜂 (hachi, “bee”) + 巣 (su, “nest, hive”), literally “beehive, honeycomb”, from the way the lotus seed resembles a honeycomb.


蓮

/hat͡ɕisu/ → */hassu/ → /hasu/
Appears to be a contraction of hachisu above.


蓮

From Middle Chinese 蓮 /莲 (len, “lotus fruit”). Compare modern Mandarin reading lián.


藍

藍 (canonical)
Ai (romanization)
Awi (romanization)
あゐ (hiragana historical)

/awi/ → */aji/ → /ai/
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *awoy.
There are various theories regarding the ultimate derivation, all suggesting a relation to 青 (awo → ao, “blue”):
* May be an alteration from 青色 (awoiro → aoiro):
*: ⟨awoiro₂⟩ → /awoirə/ → /awɨrə/ → /airo/ → /ai/
* May be a fusion of 青 (awo → ao) and い (i, emphatic particle)
*: */awo i/ → */awɨ/ → */awi/ → */aji/ → /ai/
* May be derived from a compound of 青 (awo → ao) + 居 (wi → i, “there is”), expressing the sense that the indigo plant contains the color blue:
*: /awowi/ → */awːɨ/ → /awi/ → */aji/ → /ai/


藤

藤 (canonical)
Fuji (romanization)
Fudi (romanization)
ふぢ (hiragana historical)

⟨pudi⟩ → */puⁿdi/ → /ɸud͡ʑi/ → /ɸuʑi/
From Old Japanese 藤 (pudi), from Proto-Japonic *punti.


藤

ja-pos

藤(とう) • (Tō)


藪

From Old Japanese. Found in the Nihon Shoki (720 CE).


蘇

From Middle Chinese 蘇 (MC su).
Used in Old Japanese as 借音 (shakuon) kana for ⟨so₁⟩


蘭

From Middle Chinese 蘭 (MC lan).
Compare modern Mandarin 蘭 /兰 (lán).


蘭

[a̠ɾa̠ɾa̠ɡʲi]

From Old Japanese, first attested in the Nihon Shoki (720 CE).
Any further derivation is unclear. Speculative possibilities include:
* The initial ara- may be cognate with 荒い (arai, “rough; wild”). The final -ragi is unknown, however.
* Alternatively, the initial arara- may be cognate with 荒らか (araraka, “rough; wild”). The final -gi may be cognate with 木 (ki, “tree”), perhaps in reference to the way the plant's stalk rises straight and tall.


行

行(ぎょう) • (Gyō)

From Middle Chinese 行 (MC haeng). First cited in Buddhist texts of the early 600s.
The pronunciation is goon, so likely an earlier borrowing.
* For the "formations" definition, translation of Sanskrit संस्कार (saṃskāra)
* For "austerities", translation of Sanskrit चर्या (caryā)
* For "walking", translation of Sanskrit गमन (gamana)


袖

Kojiki
Kōjien
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Shinmura Izuru

⟨so₁ te⟩ → /so te/ → /sode/
From Old Japanese. First attested in the Kojiki of 712 with the phonetic spelling 蘇弖 (⟨so₁ te⟩). The te changes to de as an instance of rendaku (連濁).
Japanese references that include an etymology note that this appears to be a compound of 衣 (so, “robe; clothing”) + 手 (te, “hand; arm”). However, the initial so- is clearly spelled with the so-called 甲類 (kōrui, “"A" type”) vowel ⟨so₁⟩ in the oldest texts, whereas 衣 when read as so was pronounced with the so-called 乙類 (otsurui, “"B" type”) vowel as ⟨so₂⟩. These were treated as separate vowels in Old Japanese, so this proposed compound cannot be the actual derivation.


角

From Old Japanese, in turn, from Proto-Japonic *kanto.
Possibly cognate with 廉 (kado, “grounds; charge; suspicion”) and 才 (kado, “ability”).


角

First attested in 718 CE. Ultimately from Middle Chinese 角 (MC kaewk).


角

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE. From Proto-Japonic *tuno.


記

⟨ki₂⟩ → */kɨ/ → /ki/
From Middle Chinese 記 (MC kiH).
In Old Japanese, this kanji was used as man'yōgana to transcribe /ki₂/.


貢

From the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 貢ぐ (mitsugu, “to support, to finance”).


日本

→ English: nihonium

→ Japanese: ニホニウム

Japanese_pitch_accent#Noun ending in 特殊拍+の

/nitɨpoɴ/ → /nip̚poɴ/ → /niɸoɴ/ → /nihoɴ/
Coined in Japan of Sinic elements, as compound of 日 (nichi, “sun”) + 本 (hon, “origin”) and literally meaning "origin of the sun". The hon element was apparently pronounced /poɴ/ when first coined. Over time, the initial /p/ lenited, becoming /ɸ/ as shown in the Nifon entry in the 1603 Nippo Jisho ("Japanese-Portuguese Dictionary"). This then became the /h/ sound in modern Japanese.
In older texts, this was read as kun'yomi as 日の本 (Hinomoto). The on'yomi readings Nippon and Nihon became more common in the Heian period, with both persisting into modern use. The Nihon reading appears to be the most common in everyday Japanese usage.
This may be related to the famous letter from Prince Shōtoku to Emperor Yang of Sui sent via the Japanese mission to Sui China in 607, wherein we see the first mention of Japan as the Land of the Rising Sun, and a description of China as Land of the Setting Sun:
:
日出處 /日出处 (literally “sun + emerge + place”) here refers to Japan, while 日沒處 /日没处 (literally “sun + sink + place”) refers to China.

lang

ニホンVSニッポン 「日本」の読み方、どっちが優勢?

ニホンVSニッポン 「日本」の読み方、どっちが優勢?

...the son of heaven of the land of the rising sun sends a letter to the son of heaven of the place where the sun sets, for good health and so on.

rì chū chù tiānzǐ zhìshū rì méi chù tiānzǐ wúyàng yúnyún

日出處天子致書日沒處天子無恙云云

日出处天子致书日没处天子无恙云云


日本

→ English: Nippon (noun)

desc

→ French: Nippon (noun), nippon (adjective)

→ Indonesian: Nippon (noun)

/nitɨpoɴ/ → /nip̚poɴ/
Phonetic variant of Nihon above, maintaining the /p/ sound.


辻

辻 (canonical)
Tsuji (romanization)
Tuzi (romanization)
つじ (hiragana historical)

Daijisen
Extended shinjitai
Shinjitai
ja:松村明

/tumuzi/ → */tuːzi/ → /t͡suʑi/
Shift from tsumuji (see below).


迎

迎 (canonical)
迎 (canonical)
Mukae (romanization)
Mukai (romanization)


道

道 (canonical)
Dō (romanization)
Dau (romanization)
だう (hiragana historical)

/dau/ → /dɔː/ → /doː/
From Middle Chinese 道 (MC dawX). Compare modern Mandarin 道 (dào), Cantonese 道 (dou⁶).


鯉

鯉 (canonical)
Koi (romanization)
Kofi (romanization)
こひ (hiragana historical)

/ko₁pi₁/ → /kopi/ → /kofi/ → */kowi/ → /koi/
From Old Japanese, attested in the Nihon Shoki.


都

⟨mi₁yako₁⟩ → */mʲijakʷo/ → /mijako/
From Old Japanese, a compound of 宮(みや) (miya, “imperial palace”) + 処(こ) (ko, “place”).


里

⟨sato₁⟩ → */satʷo/ → /sato/
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *sato.
Ultimately derivation unknown. Theories include a compound of either 小 (sa-, “short”) or 狭 (sa-, “narrow”) + 所 (to, “place”) or 戸 (to, “door”). Other theories have been suggested but are unlikely.


針

⟨pari⟩ → /ɸaɾi/ → /haɾi/
From Old Japanese 針 (pari).


鈴

Kagura suzu
Kojiki
Man'yōshū
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Suzu

From Old Japanese. First cited in the Kojiki of 712, and in the Man'yōshū of 759 with the phonetic spelling 須受 (suzu).
Possibly related to 涼しい (suzushii, “cool, refreshing”) and 涼む (suzumu, “cool off”).


銭

Daijisen#Online_search_engines
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Nihon Shoki
The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter
ja:竹取物語

/sen/ → /seni/ → /zeni/
From Old Japanese, shifted from 銭 (sen), itself from Middle Chinese 錢 (MC dzjen).
First cited in the Nihon Shoki with the ideographic spelling 銭. Later cited in the 竹取物語 (Taketori Monogatari, “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter”) from the late 800s, early 900s, with the unvoiced pronunciation seni.


鍬

鍬 (canonical)
Kuwa (romanization)
Kufa (romanization)
くは (hiragana historical)

/kupa/ → /kufa/ → /kuwa/
From Old Japanese.
Ultimate derivation unknown. Possibly derived from 食う (kuu, “to eat up; to bite into”), which has a 未然形 (mizenkei, “incomplete form”) of kuwa.


鏡

From Old Japanese.
Originally a compound of 影 (kaga, ancient combining form of 影 (kage), “shadow; outline; figure; image”) + 見 (mi, “seeing”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 見る (miru), “to see, to look at”).

com

ancient combining form of <i class="Jpan mention" lang="ja">影</i> (kage), “shadow; outline; figure; image”


鏡

鏡 (canonical)
Kyō (romanization)
Kyau (romanization)
きやう (hiragana historical)

/kjau/ → /kjɔː/ → /kjoː/
From Middle Chinese 鏡 (MC kjaengH).


鑑

From Old Japanese.
Extension of 鏡 (kagami, “mirror”), as such objects are usually seen as reflected like a mirror.


長

長 (canonical)
Chō (romanization)
Tyau (romanization)
ちやう (hiragana historical)

/tjau/ → /t͡ɕjau/ → /t͡ɕɔː/ → /t͡ɕoː/
From Middle Chinese 長 (MC trjangX) in the sense of “chief, head, leader” and 長 (MC drjang) (literally meaning “long”) for other senses. The two Middle Chinese readings were distinct but etymologically connected.


長

長 (canonical)
Osa (romanization)
Wosa (romanization)
をさ (hiragana historical)

/wosa/ → /osa/
From Old Japanese. First attested in the Nihon Shoki of 720.
Considering the derivation of 幼い (osanai, “early childhood, infancy”) as 長 (osa) + 無い (nai, “not, without, lacking”), this osa might have originally included overtones of "senior, elder". Compare English seniority, elderdom for a similar intersection of age and authority.


長

From Old Japanese.
Stem form of classical adjective 長し (nagashi), modern 長い (nagai, “long, lengthy”).


長

From Old Japanese.
Probably derived from 就か (tsuka, irrealis form of verb 就く (tsuku), “to take a position”) + さ (-sa, “-ness”, suffix indicating state or degree).

irrealis form of verb <i class="Jpan mention" lang="ja">就く</i> (tsuku), “to take a position”


長

⟨take₂⟩ → */takəj/ → /take/
Cognate with 高 (taka, “height”), 高い (takai, “high”), and 長ける (takeru, “to be high”).


長

Nominalization of verb 長ける (takeru, “to excel at”).


長

From Old Japanese.
Nominalization of classical adjective 久し (hisashi), modern 久しい (hisashii, “long time”).


門

⟨kado₁⟩ → */kadʷo/ → /kado/
From Old Japanese.
The final -do is cognate with 戸 (to, “door”). Compare 籠 (kago, “basket”), which is cognate with 籠 (ko).


閂

ja-pos

閂(かんぬき) • (Kannuki) ^(←くわんぬき (Kwannuki)?)

閂 (canonical)
Kannuki (romanization)
Kwannuki (romanization)
くわんぬき (hiragana historical)

[kã̠nːɯ̟kʲi]

/kʷan no ki/ → /kʷanːoki/ → /kʷanːuki/ → /kanːuki/
Shift from 貫の木 (kan no ki, literally “1-kan (3.75-kilogram/8.267-pound) wood”) or 関の木 (kan no ki, literally “barrier-wood”), possibly influenced by 貫き (nuki, “wooden beam used in joinery”).


陶

陶 (canonical)
Sue (romanization)
Swe (romanization)
すゑ (hiragana historical)

/suwe/ → /sue/
From Old Japanese.
The nominalization of the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 据える (sueru, “to set, lay”), from the way they are formed and/or crafted by the hands.


雫

A 国字 (kokuji, “Japanese-coined character”). Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 雨 (“rain”) + 下 (“to drop”).


雲

⟨kumo₁⟩ → */kumʷo/ → /kumo/
From Old Japanese, ultimately from Proto-Japonic *kumo.
First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE.


雷

ja-pos

雷(いかずち) • (Ikazuchi) ^(←いかづち (Ikaduti)?)

雷 (canonical)
Ikazuchi (romanization)
Ikaduti (romanization)
いかづち (hiragana historical)

⟨ika tu ti⟩ → ⟨ikaduti⟩ → /ikad͡zut͡ɕi/ → /ikazut͡ɕi/
From Old Japanese.
Originally a compound of 厳(いか) (ika, “sternness, terribleness, imposingness”) + つ (tsu, Old Japanese possessive particle) + 霊(ち) (chi, “spirit, force, essence”).


雷

From Middle Chinese 雷 (MC lwoj).
Compare modern Mandarin 雷 (léi) and Cantonese 雷 (leoi⁴).


霜

Fudoki#Manuscripts
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten

⟨simo₁⟩ → /simo/ → /ɕimo/
From Old Japanese, first attested in the Harima Fudoki of 715 CE, in turn from Proto-Japonic *simo.
Thought to be cognate with or derived from 下 (⟨simo₁⟩ → shimo, “bottom, lower part”).


霞

⟨kasumi₁⟩ → /kasumʲi/ → /kasumi/
From Old Japanese.
Nominalization of the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, stem or continuative form) of verb 霞む (kasumu, “to be hazy”).


飯

飯 (canonical)
Ī (romanization)
Ifi (romanization)
いひ (hiragana historical)

⟨ipi₁⟩ → */ipʲi/ → /ifi/ → /iwi/ → /iː/
From Old Japanese, also used as 借音 (shakuon) kana for ⟨pi₁⟩.


飯

The 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 召す (mesu, “to call”).


餅

Daijisen
Japanese dwarf flying squirrel
ja:松村明

/mot͡ɕiː/ → /mot͡ɕi/
Shift from older mochii, historical mochihi (see below). Now the modern term for a glutinous rice cake.
Compare モモンガ (momonga, “Japanese dwarf flying squirrel”), with a similar shift.


魲

Extended shinjitai form of 鱸(すずき) (Suzuki).


鯛

鯛 (canonical)
Tai (romanization)
Tafi (romanization)
たひ (hiragana historical)

/tapi₁/ → /tapi/ → /tafi/ → /tai/
From Old Japanese.


鰹

鰹 (canonical)
katsuo (romanization)
katwo (romanization)
かつを (hiragana historical)

Man'yōshū
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Old Japanese

From Old Japanese katuwo. Found in the Man'yōshū of 759.
/katuwo/ → /kat͡suwo/ → /kat͡suo/
Two possible derivations:
* A shift from a compound of 堅 (kata-, stem meaning "firm, hard") + 魚 (uo, “fish”), from the long-standing practice of drying lower-grade tuna into hard blocks, in part due to the common presence of parasites. A folk etymology also derives this kanji character, compare 木工 → 杢 (moku, “woodworker”, archaic) and 麻呂 → 麿 (maro, first-person pronoun, archaic).
* A shift from a compound of 勝つ (katsu, “to win”) + 魚 (uo, “fish”).
Considering the rules of Old Japanese phonology, specifically that two vowels are not allowed in sequence, resulting in elision or fusion, the kata + uo → katuo shift seems likely. This derivation may be partially corroborated by the rare historical synonym 堅魚 (katana), literally "hard fish".
The kanji spelling is an example of 国(こっ)訓(くん) (kokkun, “Japanese-specific kun'yomi”) and its use may stem from the 堅魚 spelling.


鳥

⟨to₂ri⟩ → /tori/
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *təri. Probably cognate with Middle Korean ᄃᆞᆰ (tolk), modern Korean 닭 (dak, “fowl; chicken”).


鳳

ja-pos

鳳(ほう) • (Hō)


鴎

Uncertain. One theory suggests from 鴨(かも) (kamo, “duck”) + め (-me, suffix expressing familiarity).
Compare 雀 (suzume, “sparrow”) and 燕 (tsubame, “swallow”).


鴨

Probably from the duck sense above, in reference to the 鴨川 (Kamogawa, literally “duck river”) flowing through Kyoto.


鵜

Possibly onomatopoeia of the bird's cry.


鵲

From Old Japanese, first appears in the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE.
Derivation unknown, theories include:
* The initial kasa- may be cognate with or a borrowing from an earlier form of Korean 까치 (kkachi, “magpie”).
* The final -sagi may be a reference to the white chest, alluding to the similar plumage of certain kinds of 鷺 (sagi, “heron, egret”).
* Alternatively, the final -sagi may derive from onomatopoeia, imitative of the bird's call.
* May be a corruption of 烏 (karasu, “crow”) + 鷺 (sagi, “heron, egret”):
*: /karasu saɡi/ → */kasːaɡi/ → /kasasaɡi/
* May be a corruption of カラ (kara, onomatopoeia for cawing, seen in 烏 (karasu), “crow”) + 鷦鷯 (sasagi, “wren”, obsolete):
*: /kara sasaɡi/ → /kasasaɡi/
* May be a corruption of カチカチ (kachikachi, onomatopoeia imitative of the bird's call) + 鷺 (sagi, “heron, egret”):
*: /kat͡ɕikat͡ɕi saɡi/ → */kat̚t͡sasaɡi/ → /kasasaɡi/


鶯

鶯 (canonical)
Uguisu (romanization)
Ugufisu (romanization)
うぐひす (hiragana historical)

⟨uɡupi₁ su⟩ → /uɡupisu/ → /uɡufisu/ → /uɡuwisu/ → /uɡuisu/
From Old Japanese. Compound of うぐい (ugui, onomatopoeia, imitative of the bird's call) + す (su, “bird”, ancient suffix appearing in certain bird names). Compare the す (su) in 烏 (karasu), 杜鵑 (hototogisu), モズ (mozu).


鶴

Given a crane's long neck and how the bird hunts, possibly related to 蔓 (tsuru, “vine”); 弦 (tsuru, “bowstring; musical instrument string”); 釣る, 吊る (tsuru, “to hang down; to string up; to fish”). Given how cranes flock together, possibly related also to 連る (tsuru), older root form of modern verb 連れる (tsureru, “to accompany”). That said, 連る also appears to ultimately derive from 蔓 (tsuru, “vine”).
Vovin (2008) considers it possibly related to an ancestor of Korean 두루미 (durumi, “crane”), with a root-final -m vanishing later, leaving only a Kansai accent pattern behind. May ultimately be a regional Wanderwort. Compare also Proto-Finno-Ugric *tërka (“crane”), and Proto-Turkic *turńa (“crane”) (whence Turkish turna), Mongolian тогоруу (togoruu, “crane”).
The reading tsuru is first seen used to mean “a crane” from the late Heian period. Prior to that time, the only reading used for the bird was tazu. However, the kanji 鶴 was used in the Man'yōshū (759 CE) as a 借訓 (shakkun) reading for つる (turu → tsuru), the 連体形 (rentaikei, “attributive form”) of つ (tu → tsu, auxiliary verb of affirmation, certainty, or completion), suggesting that tsuru may have already existed as an everyday term meaning “a crane”.

align

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麻

From Old Japanese.
Likely cognate with Korean 삼 (sam, “hemp”).


鼓

/tudumi₁/ → /tudumi/ → /t͡sud͡zumi/ → /t͡suzumi/
From Old Japanese. First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE. From Proto-Japonic *tuntumi. Related to Okinawan 鼓 (chijin).


龍

ja-pos

龍(りゅう) • (Ryū)


遊戯

/jiu ke/ → /juke/ ↔ /juɡe/
Likely the oldest borrowing from Middle Chinese 遊戲 (MC yuw xje), attested in Heian period literature.


相撲

相撲 (canonical)
Sumō (romanization)
Sumafu (romanization)
すまふ (hiragana historical)

Derived from Old Japanese verb 争ふ (sumapu), modern 争う (sumau, “to contend, resist, compete (in sumo, for example)”).
There are two leading theories regarding the derivation:
* May be a nominalization of the 終止形 (shūshikei, “terminal form”) and 連体形 (rentaikei, “attributive form”) sumapu:
: /sumapu/ → /sumaɸu/ → */sumawu/ → /sumau/ → /sumɔː/ → /sumoː/
* May be an instance of ウ音便 (u onbin, ““u” sound shift”), found in terms with bilabial consonants (/m/, /b/, /w/) followed by i:
: ⟨sumapi₁⟩ → */sumapʲi/ → /sumaɸi/ → /sumawi/ → */sumawu/ → /sumau/ → /sumɔː/ → /sumoː/
That said, the nominalization of terminal/attributive verb forms is quite rare in Japanese, whereas the “u” sound shift pattern is not uncommon.
The kanji spelling is either from the native sumai or Sino-Japanese sōboku readings below.


世界

From Middle Chinese 世界 (MC syejH keajH), originally a translation of Sanskrit लोकधातु (lokadhātu, “region or part of the world”). Compare Hokkien 世界 (sè-kài).


大和

→ Chinese: 大和 (Dàhé)

⟨yamato₂⟩: *[jamatə] → /jamato/
From older 邪馬台 (yamatai). From Old Japanese 大和 (yamato₂), from Proto-Japonic *yamatə. Originally a geographical region in Nara, came to refer to all of Nara, and eventually to the country as a whole: Japan.
Chinese texts often used the word 倭 (“dwarf, midget”) to refer to the people of the Japanese archipelago, possibly because they were actually smaller, or more likely as an insult. This character came to be used in early Japanese texts, such as the Man'yōshū poetry compilation, with a kun'yomi or native-Japanese reading of Yamato to refer to Japan in general.
This 倭 character also has an on'yomi or borrowed Chinese reading of wa. During the reign of Empress Genmei (707–715), the 倭 character with an original Chinese meaning of “midget, dwarf” was replaced with the 和 character that is also read wa, but instead has the more favorable meaning of “harmony”, in spellings of the native Japanese term Yamato. The 大 character meaning “great” was then prefixed to this. The resulting kanji compound 大和 can also be read with a kun'yomi of Ōyamato (see below).


長崎

desc

→ English: Nagasaki, Nangasaki, Nangasac

→ Dutch: Nagasaki, Nangasacq

→ English: Nangasacq

→ Portuguese: Nangasaque


植木

植木 (canonical)
Ueki (romanization)
Uweki (romanization)
うゑき (hiragana historical)

Compound of 植え (ue, “planting”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 植える ueru “to plant (a seed, a plant)”) + 木 (ki, “tree or shrub”).

compound

the <i class="Jpan mention" lang="ja">連用形</i> (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 植える ueru “to plant (a seed, a plant)”


茄子

/nasubi/ → */nasubʉ/*/nasumɨ/ → /nasumʉ/ → /nasuː/ → /nasu/
First attested in the late 1400s, originally a nyōbō kotoba term.
Shift from nasubi below.


八角

From 八 ("eight") + 角 ("horn," "angle," "corner," "point") = "octagon".


つつみ

Tsutsumi (romanization)
Tutumi (romanization)
つつみ (hiragana historical)


おか

Oka (romanization)
Woka (romanization)
をか (hiragana historical)

Kojiki
Kōjien
Man'yōshū
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Shinmura Izuru

/woka/ → /oka/
From Old Japanese. Attested in the Kojiki of 712 and the Man'yōshū of 759.
In turn, possibly originally a compound of 峰 (wo, “high place, a height”) + 処 (ka, suffixing element denoting "place").


いけ

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE. From Proto-Japonic *ikay.


大阪

ja-pos

大(おお)阪(さか) • (Ōsaka) ^(←おほさか (Ofosaka)?)

大阪 (canonical)
Ōsaka (romanization)
Ofosaka (romanization)
おほさか (hiragana historical)

Compound of 大 (ō, “large, great”) + 阪 (saka, “hill”). The geographical area was historically known as 小坂 (Wosaka → Osaka, literally “little hill”) and was renamed to mean literally a “large hill”.
Originally spelled as 大坂 until the early Meiji period, possibly for some superstitious reason.


大阪

ja-pos

大(おお)阪(ざか) • (Ōzaka) ^(←おほざか (Ofozaka)?)

大阪 (canonical)
Ōzaka (romanization)
Ofozaka (romanization)
おほざか (hiragana historical)

The saka changes to zaka as an instance of rendaku (連濁)..


神威

神威杏次 ― kamui kyōji ― Kyoji Kamui


小島

From 小(こ) (ko, “small, little”) + 島(しま) (shima, “island, isle”).


日向

Compound of 日 (hi, “sun”) + な (na, Old Japanese possessive particle) + た (ta, “direction, side”).
The ta element is found in terms such as あなた (anata, “you”, originally “that side (distant)”), そなた (sonata, “you”, archaic; originally “that side (nearby)”).


日向

日向 (canonical)
Hyūga (romanization)
Fiuga (romanization)
ひうが (hiragana historical)

⟨pi₁muka⟩ → */pʲimuka/ → /ɸimuka/ → /ɸiũɡa/ → /hjuːɡa/
Shift from Old Japanese 日向 (Pi₁muka → Himuka).
Equivalent to a compound of 日 (hi, “sun”) + 向か (muka, the 未然形 (mizenkei, “irrealis form”) of verb 向く (muku), “to face (a direction)”).

日向夏

hyūganatsu, Citrus × tamurana, a kind of citrus fruit


日向

ja-pos

日(にっ)向(こう) • (Nikkō) ^(←にちかう (Nitikau)?)

日(ひ)向(むかい) • (Himukai) ^(←ひむかひ (Fimukafi)?)

日向 (canonical)
Nikkō (romanization)
Nitikau (romanization)
にちかう (hiragana historical)
日向 (canonical)
Hiuga (romanization)
日向 (canonical)
Higano (romanization)
日向 (canonical)
Hikō (romanization)
Fikau (romanization)
ひかう (hiragana historical)
日向 (canonical)
Hina (romanization)
日向 (canonical)
Hinada (romanization)
日向 (canonical)
Himukai (romanization)
Fimukafi (romanization)
ひむかひ (hiragana historical)
日向 (canonical)
Himuka (romanization)
日向 (canonical)
Himuki (romanization)
日向 (canonical)
Hyuga (romanization)


ふるさと

[ɸɯ̟ɾɯ̟sa̠to̞]

From Old Japanese ふるさと (purusato₁).
Compound of ふる (furu, “something ancient, old, in the past”) + 里 (sato, “village; home”).


大鹿

ja-pos

大(おお)鹿(しか) • (Ōshika) ^(←おほしか (Ofosika)?)

大鹿 (canonical)
Ōshika (romanization)
Ofosika (romanization)
おほしか (hiragana historical)

Compound of 大 (ō, “big”) + 鹿 (shika, “deer”). Appears to be a variation from the ōjika reading.


弥生

弥生 (canonical)
Yayoi (romanization)
Yayofi (romanization)
やよひ (hiragana historical)

/ijaopi/ → /ijaofi/ → */jaofi/ → /jajofi/ → /jajowi/ → /jajoi/
Shift from iyaoi below.


卯月

From 卯 (u, short for 卯の花 (unohana), “deutzia flower”) + 月 (tsuki, “month”).
The tsuki changes to zuki as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

com

short for <i class="Jpan mention" lang="ja">卯の花</i> (unohana), “deutzia flower”


海老

/jepi/ → /jebi/ → /ebi/
Possibly from Old Japanese, first attested in the Honzō Wamyō (918 CE).
Ultimate derivation unclear, with theories including:
* Shift in meaning from ebi, ancient reading of modern 葡萄 (budō, “grape”), from a resemblance in color
* Shift in reading from epige, proposed compound of 良い (ei, “good”) + 髭 (pige → hige, “beard”) from the bearded appearance
* Shift in reading from epige, proposed compound of 江 (e, “inlet, bay”) + 髭 (pige → hige, “beard”) from the bearded appearance
Appears as Yebi in the Nippo Jisho of 1603.
The kanji spelling is jukujikun (熟字訓), in reference to the vague resemblance to a stooped old man. See the kairō reading below.


貝殻

ja-pos

貝(かい)殻(がら) • (Kaigara) ^(←かひがら (Kafigara)?)

貝殻 (canonical)
Kaigara (romanization)
Kafigara (romanization)
かひがら (hiragana historical)

Compound of 貝(かい) (kai, “shellfish”) + 殻(から) (kara, “shell”). The kara changes to gara as an instance of rendaku (連濁).


朝日

Daijisen#Online_search_engines
Kojiki
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten

From Old Japanese. First cited to the Kojiki of 712.
Analyzable as a compound of 朝 (asa, “morning”) + 日 (hi, “sun”).


田中

田 (ta, “paddy”) + 中 (naka, “center”), literally, “center of the paddy”.

(most common surnames)

姓#日本の主な姓 w:ja:姓#日本の主な姓

a surname: the 4th most common surname in Japan.


山田

Compound of 山 (yama, “mountain”) + 田 (ta, “field”). The ta changes to da as an instance of rendaku (連濁).


木村

→ Chinese: 木村 (Mùcūn)

→ English: Kimura

Compound of 木(き) (ki, “tree”) + 村(むら) (mura, “village”). Literally, “tree village”.

ja-com

木村拓哉 ― kimura Takuya ― Takuya Kimura


奈良

Emperor Sujin
Nara
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Nihon Shoki
ja:奈良
man'yōgana

From Old Japanese. Attested from at least the early 700s. The kanji are ateji (当て字).
Various ancient spellings suggest forms ending in -ku or -ki. This latter element is not attested past the Old Japanese stage:
 奈羅, 那羅, 楢, 儺羅
名良, 奈良, 那良
那楽, 寧楽
平城
 →
 ⟨nara⟩
 ⟨nara⟩
 ⟨naraku⟩
 ⟨naraki₂⟩
 →
 /nara/
 */naraᵑ/
 */narakʉ/
 */narakɨ/
 → /nara/
According to the Nihon Shoki (720 CE), the placename is derived from the Japanese verb 均す, 平す (narasu, “to flatten”). In The Study of Place Names, Kunio Yanagida stated, “Nara stands for ‘flatland’.”
However, an analysis of Old Japanese phonetic spellings (man'yōgana) reveals that the city name was often spelled with a final -ku or -ki element, which makes it phonologically unlikely that the city name derives directly from the verb narasu. The root from which the verb itself derives, nar-, appears in various terms related to “flat” or “flatness”, a fitting descriptor for the local geography. The final -ku or -ki element in the ancient spellings may be Old Japanese 城 (ki₂ → ki, “palisade, stronghold, fortress, castle”), as also suggested in the alternative kanji spelling 平城 (literally “flat stronghold”). See also the discussion of the city name's etymology on Wikipedia.


江戸

desc

→ English: Edo, Jeddo, Yeddo, Yedo, Jendo, Yendo

→ Russian: Э́до m (Édo)

→ Ukrainian: Е́до (Édo)

/jedo/ → /edo/
Compound of 江 (e, “cove, inlet”) + 戸 (to, “entrance, gate, door”), likely in reference to the local geography. The to changes to do as an instance of rendaku (連濁).
First mentioned in the 吾妻鏡 (Azuma Kagami, “Eastern Mirror”, an historical chronicle), started in 1180 and completed after 1266, in a section dated to 1180.


武士

Kamakura period
Kōjien
Muromachi period
Nara period
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Shinmura Izuru
Shinobu Orikuchi
Shoku Nihongi
ja:続日本紀
yamabushi

From Old Japanese, in turn from Middle Chinese 武士 (MC mjuX dzriX). Compare modern Min Nan pronunciation bú-sǐr. First cited to a portion of the 続日本紀 (Shoku Nihongi) dated to 721.
Japanese philologist Shinobu Orikuchi postulated in the 1920s that bushi derived instead from 伏 (bushi), the rendaku (連濁) version of fushi, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, stem or continuative form) of verb 伏す (fusu, “to bow down, to prostrate”), as found in terms such as 山伏 (yamabushi, “mountain hermit”) and 野伏 (nobushi, “hermit; brigand”). Orikuchi contended that this word arose some time during the Kamakura or Muromachi periods, and that the kanji spelling is ateji (当て字). However, the term 武士 (bushi) with the kanji spelling is attested already in the Nara period, many centuries earlier. In addition, rendaku only applies to the latter element in compounds, so nominalized verb fushi would not appear as bushi on its own.


武士

武士 (canonical)
Takeshi (romanization)
武士 (canonical)
Takehito (romanization)


鈴木

→ Chinese: 鈴木 /铃木 (Língmù)

→ English: Suzuki

→ French: Suzuki

→ Portuguese: Suzuki

Compound of 鈴(すず) (suzu, “bell”) + 木(き) (ki, “tree”).

ja-com

(most common surnames)

姓#日本の主な姓 w:ja:姓#日本の主な姓

鈴木, スズキ: a surname: the 2nd most common surname in Japan.


ゆたか

豊か 寛 穣 胖 裕 豊 隆

(The following entry does not have a page created for it yet: 豊.)
Shift in usage from the adjective 豊か (yutaka, “bounteous, ample, rich”).


すみ

Sumi (romanization)
すみ (hiragana historical)

From Old Japanese, first appearing in the Kojiki of 712 with the phonetic spelling 須美 ⟨sumi₁⟩.
Considering the different pitch accent, this appears to be unrelated to the "charcoal; ink; finish" senses.


出口

[de̞ɡɯ̟t͡ɕi]


白鳥

白 (shira, shiro, “white”) + 鳥 (tori, “bird”)

com

ja:白鳥 (曖昧さ回避)


味噌

*/misau/ → */misɔ/ → /miso/
From Old Japanese. First attested in Ritsuryō tax records from 738 CE, with the spelling 未醤.
Possibly either directly from Middle Chinese 未醬 (MC mj+jH tsjangH), or a coinage in Japan of Middle Chinese-derived elements as a compound of 未 (mi, “not yet, immature”) + 醬 (sō, “sauce”, the older goon reading, from even older sau).
Vovin, however, considers it to be a borrowing from Koreanic, compare Modern Korean 메주 (meju) "brick of dried fermented soybeans."
Cognate with Proto-Ryukyuan *miso. A Proto-Japonic *misV is sometimes reconstructed as the ancestor for both.


真珠

真珠 (canonical)
Shinju (romanization)
真珠 (canonical)
Shinju (romanization)


なか

Kojiki
Kokin Wakashū
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten

From Old Japanese. First cited to the Kojiki of 712 CE.
From Proto-Japonic *naka. By surface analysis, ⟨na⟩ (indicating being inside, not found in isolation) + ⟨ka⟩ (a place (e.g. ありか (arika, “a place where something is, whereabouts”, from ある (aru, “to exist”) + 処 (ka, “place”), literally “existing place”), compare 所 (tokoro, “place”, see etymology for details))).
The relationship sense was first attested in the Kokin Wakashū, around 905-914 CE, possibly from the sense of being a group of objects/people around a certain area.


こうへい

ja-pos

こうへい • (Kōhei)

工兵 公平 甲兵 交兵 降兵 耿秉 康平 衡平 幸平 講平 光平 浩平 恒平

Any of various Chinese-derived terms.
(The following entries do not have a page created for them yet: 甲兵, 交兵, 降兵, 耿秉, 衡平.)
Any of various names. For the connotations of each name, see the entries for the individual characters used.


入來

ja-pos

入(いり)來(き) or 入(いり)來(く) • (Iriki or Iriku)

入來 (canonical)
入來 (canonical)
Iriki (romanization)
Iriku (romanization)


琵琶

琵琶 (canonical)
Biwa (romanization)
Bifa (romanization)
びは (hiragana historical)

/bipa/ → /biɸa/ → /biwa/
Borrowing from Middle Chinese 琵琶 (MC bjij bae). Although regular in native vocabulary, the sound change of /ɸ/ → /w/ is unusual in Sino-Japanese vocabulary.


南宮

南宮(なんぐう) • (Nangū)

desc

→ English: Nangyu, Nangu, Nanguu, Nankyu, Nanku, Nankuu


竹林

竹林 (canonical)
Takebayashi (romanization)


不忍

From 忍(しの)ばず (shinobazu), negative continuative form of the verb 忍(しの)ぶ (shinobu, “to conceal, hide; to endure, bear”).
The kanji are jukujikun (熟字訓), from Chinese 不忍 (bùrěn).


堀川

Compound of 掘る (horu, “to dig”) + 川 (kawa, “river”).


羯磨

*/kɨatɨ mʷa/ → /katuma/ → /kat͡suma/
From Middle Chinese 羯磨 (MC kjot ma), itself a transliteration of Sanskrit कर्मन् (karman, literally “act, action”).
This pronunciation is prevalent in many Japanese schools of Buddhism, Tendai and Jōdo-shū to name a few.


青山

ja-pos

青(あお)山(やま) • (Aoyama) ^(←あをやま (Awoyama)?)

青山 (canonical)
Aoyama (romanization)
Awoyama (romanization)
あをやま (hiragana historical)

Compound of 青 (ao, “blue or green; lush with life”) + 山 (yama, “mountain”).


古今

From Middle Chinese 古今 (MC kuX kim).
The reading is kan'on, so likely a later borrowing.


古今

From Middle Chinese 古今 (MC kuX kim).
Uses the goon reading for the latter kanji, suggesting an older borrowing.


白土

Possibly from Middle Chinese 白土 (MC baek thuX|duX).


白土

白土 (canonical)
Shiratsuchi (romanization)

From Old Japanese, first attested in the Hizen-no-kuni Fudoki (c. 739 CE).
Compound of 白 (shira, “white”) + 土 (tsuchi, “earth, soil”).


白土

白土 (canonical)
Shirotsuchi (romanization)

Compound of 白 (shiro, “white”) + 土 (tsuchi, “earth, soil”).


中山

中山 (canonical)
Nakayama (romanization)
中山 (canonical)
Chūzan (romanization)


司馬

司馬遷

司馬懿

司馬江漢

司馬凌海


河南

河南 (canonical)
Kawana (romanization)
Kafana (romanization)
かはな (hiragana historical)


高橋

(most common surnames)

姓#日本の主な姓 w:ja:姓#日本の主な姓

a surname: the 3rd most common surname in Japan.


川崎

→ Chinese: 川崎 (Chuānqí)

→ English: Kawasaki

→ Russian: Каваса́ки m (Kavasáki)

Compound of 川(かわ) (kawa, “river”) + 崎(さき) (saki, “headland”). Literally, “river cape”.


川端

川(かわ) (kawa, “river”) + 端(はた) (hata, “edge”)


佐藤

English: Sato

Chinese: 佐藤 (Zuǒténg)

French: Sato

Portuguese: Sato

Tagalog: Sato

(most common surnames)

姓#日本の主な姓 w:ja:姓#日本の主な姓

a surname: the most common surname in Japan.


渡辺

(most common surnames)

a surname: the 6th most common surname in Japan.


中村

中 (naka, “middle”) + 村 (mura, “village”)


佐々木

佐々木 (canonical)
佐々木 (canonical)
Sasaki (romanization)

ja:佐々木 ja:沙沙貴神社

Originated from an ancient clan 沙(さ)沙(さ)貴(き)山(やま)(の)君(きみ) (Sasaki Yama no Kimi), whose name, according to the tradition of Sasaki Shrine, was derived from ささげ (sasage, “cowpea”), probably with a suffix 城(き) (ki, “castle”).

ja-r

^さ%さ%き% ^やま% の %^きみ


山口

Compound of 山 (yama, “mountain”) + 口 (guchi, “mouth; opening, gateway”). The kuchi changes to guchi as an instance of rendaku (連濁).


井上

ja-pos

井(いの)上(うえ) • (Inoue) ^(←ゐのうへ (Winoufe)?)

井上 (canonical)
Inoue (romanization)
Winoufe (romanization)
ゐのうへ (hiragana historical)


坂田

坂(さか)田(た) or 坂(さか)田(だ) • (Sakata or Sakada)

坂田 (canonical)
坂田 (canonical)
Sakata (romanization)
Sakada (romanization)


河野

河野 (canonical)
河野 (canonical)
Kawano (romanization)
Kōno (romanization)


藤山

藤山一郎 ― Fujiyama Ichirō ― Ichiro Fujiyama


藤山

藤山茂 ― Tōyama Shigeru ― Shigeru Toyama


井山

井山 (canonical)
Iyama (romanization)
Wiyama (romanization)
ゐやま (hiragana historical)


清水

清水 (canonical)
Shimizu (romanization)
きよみず (alternative hiragana)
Kiyomizu (Rōmaji alternative hiragana)
きよみづ (alternative hiragana historical)


福岡

福(ふく)岡(おか) • (Fukuoka) ^(←ふくをか (Fukwoka)?)

福岡 (canonical)
Fukuoka (romanization)
Fukwoka (romanization)
ふくをか (hiragana historical)

[ɸɯ̟̊kɯ̟o̞ka̠]


清源

Compound of 清 (kiyo, “clean, clear”) + 源 (moto, “origin, source”).


清源

Ultimately from Middle Chinese 清源 (MC tshjeng ngjwon).


東山

東山 (canonical)
Higashiyama (romanization)


大筒

ja-pos

大(おお)筒(づつ) • (Ōzutsu) ^(←おほづつ (Ofodutu)?)

大筒 (canonical)
Ōzutsu (romanization)
Ofodutu (romanization)
おほづつ (hiragana historical)

Compound of 大(おお) (ō, “large”) + 筒(つつ) (tsutsu, “tube”).
The tsutsu changes to zutsu as an instance of rendaku (連濁).


大筒

大筒 (canonical)
Ōtō (romanization)
Ofotou (romanization)
おほとう (hiragana historical)


川上

From 川 (kawa, "river," "stream," "brook") + 上 (kami, "upper stream").


川瀬

Compound of 川 (kawa, “river, stream, brook”) + 瀬 (se, “shallows”).


小川

From 小 (o, "little," "nice") + 川 (kawa, "river," "stream," "brook").


川原

ja:川原 (曖昧さ回避)

[ka̠β̞a̠ɾa̠]


江戸川

ja-pos

江(え)戸(ど)川(がわ) • (Edogawa) ^(←えどがは (Edogafa)?)

江戸川 (canonical)
Edogawa (romanization)
Edogafa (romanization)
えどがは (hiragana historical)

From 江戸(えど) (Edo, old name of Tokyo) + 川(かわ) (kawa, suffix for names of rivers).

ja-compound

ja:江戸川 ja:江戸川区


川口

[ka̠β̞a̠ɡɯ̟t͡ɕi]

From 川 (kawa, "river," "stream," "brook") + 口 (kuchi, "mouthlike opening").


川柳

ja-pos

川(かわ)柳(やなぎ) • (Kawayanagi) ^(←かはやなぎ (Kafayanagi)?)

川柳 (canonical)
Kawayanagi (romanization)
Kafayanagi (romanization)
かはやなぎ (hiragana historical)

Compound of 川(かわ) (kawa, “river, stream, brook”) + 柳(やなぎ) (yanagi, “willow”).


滝川

ja-pos

滝川(たきかわ) • (Takikawa) ^(←たきかは (Takikafa)?)

滝川 (canonical)
Takikawa (romanization)
Takikafa (romanization)
たきかは (hiragana historical)

Compound of 滝(たき) (taki, “waterfall”) + 川(かわ) (kawa, “river”). The kawa changes to gawa as an instance of rendaku (連濁)..


滝川

ja-pos

滝(たき)川(がわ) • (Takigawa) ^(←たきがは (Takigafa)?)

滝川 (canonical)
Takigawa (romanization)
Takigafa (romanization)
たきがは (hiragana historical)


滝川

滝川(たかかわ) • (Takakawa) ^(←たかかは (Takakafa)?)

滝川 (canonical)
Takakawa (romanization)
Takakafa (romanization)
たかかは (hiragana historical)


滝川

滝川(たかがわ) • (Takagawa) ^(←たかがは (Takagafa)?)

滝川 (canonical)
Takagawa (romanization)
Takagafa (romanization)
たかがは (hiragana historical)


滝川

滝川 (canonical)
Takawa (romanization)
Takafa (romanization)
たかは (hiragana historical)


谷川

[ta̠ɲ̟iɡa̠β̞a̠]

From 谷(たに) (tani, “valley, ravine, gorge”) + 川(かわ) (kawa, “river, stream, brook”). The kawa changes to gawa as an instance of rendaku (連濁).


淀川

ja-pos

淀(よど)川(がわ) • (Yodogawa) ^(←よどがは (Yodogafa)?)

淀川 (canonical)
Yodogawa (romanization)
Yodogafa (romanization)
よどがは (hiragana historical)

From 淀(よど) (yodo, “pool, eddy”) + 川(かわ) (-kawa, suffix after names of rivers). The kawa changes to gawa as an instance of rendaku (連濁).


小国

From 小 (shō, "small") + 国 (koku, "country," "nation," "state").


小豆

小豆 (canonical)
Shōzu (romanization)
Seudu (romanization)
せうづ (hiragana historical)


春日

From Old Japanese.
Compound of 春 (haru, “spring, springtime”) + 日 (hi, “sun, sunlight, daylight, day”).
Sometimes pronounced with rendaku (連濁), as harubi.


春日

From Old Japanese. The kanji spelling comes from the pillow word 春日(はるひ) (haruhi) used to introduce the place name Kasuga. The original meaning of kasuga is debated but is thought to be either 霞処(かすみが) (kasumi ga) "hazy place" or 神住処(かすか) (ka su ka) "deity's dwelling place".
Compare 飛鳥 (Asuka).


小鳥

Daijisen#Online_search_engines
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Utsubo Monogatari

Compound of 小 (ko, “small, little”) + 鳥 (tori, “bird”).
First attested in the Utsubo Monogatari of the late 900s.


小口

Compound of 小 (ko, “small, little”) + 口 (kuchi, mouth).


小口

Compound of 小 (o, “small, little”) + 口 (kuchi, mouth).


鳳凰

鳳凰 (canonical)
Hōō (romanization)
Fouwau (romanization)
ほうわう (hiragana historical)

Daijisen
Fenghuang
ja:松村明
ja:鳳凰
ja:鳳凰 (曖昧さ回避)

/pouwau/ → /ɸoːwɔː/ → /hoːɔː/ → /hoːoː/
Borrowing from Chinese 鳳凰 /凤凰 (fènghuáng, literally “male fire-bird + female fire-bird”), date of borrowing unknown.


小山

From 小 (ko-, “small, little”) + 山 (yama, “mountain, peak”).


小山

小山 (canonical)
Oyama (romanization)
Woyama (romanization)
をやま (hiragana historical)

From 小 (o-, “small, little”) + 山 (yama, “mountain, peak”).


小石

Compound of 小 (ko, “small, little”) + 石 (ishi, “stone, rock”).

compound

Also variously spelled as 子石, 小岩, 孕石, 輿石, 興石, 古石, 磊


関東

ja-pos

関(かん)東(とう) • (Kantō) ^(←くわんとう (Kwantou)?)

関東 (canonical)
Kantō (romanization)
Kwantou (romanization)
くわんとう (hiragana historical)

Russian: Канто́ n or m (Kantó)

; “geographical region of eastern Japan”
; “shogunate”
; “area to the east of Hangu or Shanhai Pass”


沢山

沢(さわ)山(やま) • (Sawayama) ^(←さはやま (Safayama)?)

沢山 (canonical)
Sawayama (romanization)
Safayama (romanization)
さはやま (hiragana historical)

First appeared in the Edo period.
Kun-reading of takusan above.


いで

Ide (romanization)
ゐで (hiragana historical)

井 (i, “well”) + 手 (te, “hand”), with rendaku.


河内

河内 (canonical)
Kawachi (romanization)
Kafati (romanization)
かはち (hiragana historical)

[ka̠β̞a̠ɯ̟t͡ɕi]


河内

河(かわ)内(うち) • (Kawauchi) ^(←かはうち (Kafauti)?)

河内 (canonical)
Kawauchi (romanization)
Kafauti (romanization)
かはうち (hiragana historical)

[ka̠β̞a̠ɯ̟t͡ɕi]


河内

河内 (canonical)
Kōchi (romanization)
Kafuti (romanization)
かふち (hiragana historical)

Sound change of compound of 河(かわ) (kawa, “river”) + 内(うち) (uchi, “inside”). Literally, “in the river”.


実生

ja-pos

実(さね)生(お) or 実(じつ)生(お) or 実(みつ)生(お) • (Saneo or Jitsuo or Mitsuo)

実(み)生(う) or 実(み)生(お) or 実(み)生(き) or 実(み)生(しょう) • (Miu or Mio or Miki or Mishō)

実生 (canonical)
Azuki (romanization)
実生 (canonical)
実生 (canonical)
実生 (canonical)
Saneo (romanization)
Jitsuo (romanization)
Mitsuo (romanization)
実生 (canonical)
実生 (canonical)
実生 (canonical)
実生 (canonical)
Miu (romanization)
Mio (romanization)
Miki (romanization)
Mishō (romanization)
実生 (canonical)
実生 (canonical)
Mibae (romanization)
Mibu (romanization)


樹林

樹林 (canonical)
Jurin (romanization)
樹林 (canonical)
Kibayashi (romanization)


実相寺

実(じっ)相(そう)寺(じ) or 実(じつ)相(そう)寺(じ) • (Jissōji or Jitsusōji)

実相寺 (canonical)
Jisshōji (romanization)
実相寺 (canonical)
実相寺 (canonical)
Jissōji (romanization)
Jitsusōji (romanization)


高実子

高(たか)実(じつ)子(こ) or 高(たか)実(み)子(こ) or 高(たか)実(み)子(し) or 高(たか)実(み)子(ね) • (Takajitsuko or Takamiko or Takamishi or Takamine)

高実子 (canonical)
Kumiko (romanization)
高実子 (canonical)
高実子 (canonical)
高実子 (canonical)
高実子 (canonical)
Takajitsuko (romanization)
Takamiko (romanization)
Takamishi (romanization)
Takamine (romanization)


大谷

大(おお)谷(たに) • (Ōtani) ^(←おほたに (Ofotani)?)

大谷 (canonical)
Ōtani (romanization)
Ofotani (romanization)
おほたに (hiragana historical)

→ Chinese: 大谷 (dàgǔ)

大(おお) (ō) + 谷(たに) (tani, literally “great valley”)


太刀

Daijisen
Heian period
Nihon Shoki
ja:松村明

/tati/ → /tat͡ɕi/
From Old Japanese. Appears in the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE.
Derived from 断ち (tachi), the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 断つ (tatsu, “to sever”).
The kanji spelling is a shift from the original Chinese 大刀 (dàdāo, literally “great blade”), indicating straight swords before the Heian period, and later indicating curved swords.


紅葉

紅葉 (canonical)
Momiji (romanization)
Momidi (romanization)
もみぢ (hiragana historical)

⟨momi₁ti⟩ → */momʲiti/ → /momʲidi/ → /momid͡ʑi/ → /momiʑi/
Shift from Old Japanese 紅葉 (momi₁ti → momichi).
The 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of classical verb 紅葉づ (momizu, “to turn, change color; said of leaves”).
Orthographic borrowing from Chinese 紅葉 /红叶 (hóngyè), see kōyō below.


福島

[ɸɯ̟kɯ̟ɕima̠]


入船

[iɾʲiɸɯ̟ne̞]

Compound of 入り (iri, “entry, entering”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 入る hairu “to enter”) + 船 (fune, “boat or ship”).

compound

the <i class="Jpan mention" lang="ja">連用形</i> (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 入る hairu “to enter”


上山

上山 (canonical)
Kamiyama (romanization)
上山 (canonical)
Ueyama (romanization)


麻生

麻生 (canonical)
Asō (romanization)
Asafu (romanization)
あさふ (hiragana historical)

⟨asapu⟩ → /asaɸu/ → /asau/ → /asɔː/ → /asoː/
From 麻 (asa, “hemp plant”) + 生 (fu, “place where vegetation grows”).


鎌倉

From Old Japanese 鎌倉 (Kamakura).
Originally a compound of 竈 (kama, “oven”) + 鞍 (kura, “saddle”), from the way that the landscape as viewed from the sea looks like a saddle inside an oven, that is, a flat area in the mountains, surrounded by hills in the shape of an old traditional oven.
The kanji spelling appears to be an example of ateji (当て字), literally “sickle warehouse”.


百済

From Old Japanese 百濟 (Kudara).
The kanji spelling is from Hyakusai below.


源氏

From 源 (gen, on-reading of minamoto, literally “fountainhead, source”) + 氏 (-shi, “family”).


五十

⟨i so₁⟩ → */isʷo/ → /iso/
Compound of Old Japanese elements 五(い) (i, “five”, combining form) + 十(そ) (so, “ten”).


五十嵐

Originally a compound of 五十 (i-, “fifty”, combining form) + が (ga, Old Japanese genitive particle) + 嵐 (arashi, “storm”), with the initial a of arashi dropped due to lack of vowel clusters in Old Japanese, hence the literal meaning "fifty storms".


十三

Aomori Prefecture
John Batchelor (missionary)
Tosaminato
ja:十三湊

Possibly from Ainu to sam (literally “lake + side”).
Not attested until the late 900s in reference to 十三湊 (Tosa Minato, “Tosa Harbor”), a natural harbor on the western shore of what is now Aomori Prefecture. This harbor is located in historically Ainu territory and became an important trading port in the 900s.
The use of the kanji characters 十 (to, “ten”, from Old Japanese) and 三 (sa, “three”, from Chinese; irregular pronunciation, truncation of san) is an example of ateji (当て字).


稲荷

/inanari/ → /inari/
Originally a compound of 稲 (ina, “rice plant”) + 生り (nari), the stem form of verb 生る (naru, “to fruit, to go to seed”).
The 荷 character is gikun, in reference to "bearing".

稲荷大神: Inari

稲荷大神 いなりおおかみ

稲荷神社

稲荷神社 いなりじんじゃ

a shrine dedicated to the god Inari, usually with a statue of a fox in front

稲荷講: an Inari shrine association in Kyōto


徳川

ja-pos

徳(とく)川(がわ) • (Tokugawa) ^(←とくがは (Tokugafa)?)

徳川 (canonical)
Tokugawa (romanization)
Tokugafa (romanization)
とくがは (hiragana historical)

[to̞kɯ̟ɡa̠β̞a̠]

(historical) Tokugawa, a family name, notably of Tokugawa Ieyasu, a famous Edo period shogun, founder of the Tokugawa shogunate


大坂

大(おお)坂(さか) • (Ōsaka) ^(←おほさか (Ofosaka)?)

大坂 (canonical)
Ōsaka (romanization)
Ofosaka (romanization)
おほさか (hiragana historical)

Possibly from Old Japanese.
From 大 (ō, “large”) + 坂 (saka, “hill”).


大坂

大(だい)坂(さか) • (Daisaka) ^(←だいさか (Daisaka)?)

大坂 (canonical)
Daisaka (romanization)
だいさか (hiragana historical)


水田

水田 (canonical)
Mizuta (romanization)
Miduta (romanization)
みづた (hiragana historical)


生地

生地 (canonical)
Kiji (romanization)
Kidi (romanization)
きぢ (hiragana historical)

Compound of 生 (ki, “crude, pure, raw”) + 地 (ji, “earth; skin”).


生地

生地 (canonical)
Oiji (romanization)
Ofidi (romanization)
おひぢ (hiragana historical)


生地

生地 (canonical)
Ikuji (romanization)
Ikudi (romanization)
いくぢ (hiragana historical)


かがみ

加々見, 加々美, 加加美, 加ヶ見, 加賀見, 加賀実: a surname

鏡見, 鏡味, 香々見, 香々美, 香我美, 香美: a surname


東風

*⟨ko₁ti⟩ → */kʷoti/*⟨ko₂ti⟩ → */kəti/ → /kot͡ɕi/
From Old Japanese.
The final chi is cognate with the -te in 疾風 (hayate, “gale”).


東風

東風 (canonical)
Higashikaze (romanization)

Compound of 東 (higashi, “east”) + 風 (kaze, “wind”).


東風

ja-pos

東(あずま)風(かぜ) • (Azumakaze) ^(←あづまかぜ (Adumakaze)?)

東風 (canonical)
Azumakaze (romanization)
Adumakaze (romanization)
あづまかぜ (hiragana historical)

Compound of 東 (azuma, “east”, archaic) + 風 (kaze, “wind”).


鳩山

ja:鳩山 ja:鳩山由紀夫

Yukio Hatoyama (鳩山由紀夫 はとやま ゆきお, Hatoyama Yukio)

prime minister of Japan (16 September 2009 to 2 June 2010)


菊池

→ Chinese: 菊池 (Júchí)

→ English: Kikuchi

Ateji (当て字) of 鞠智 (Kikuchi, “Kikuchi Castle”), originally read as くくち (Kukuchi).

菊池昌弘

Masahiro Kikuchi, pathologist known for Kikuchi disease


極楽

[ɡo̞kɯ̟ɾa̠kɯ̟]

From Middle Chinese 極樂 (MC gik lak), itself a translation of Sanskrit सुखावती (sukhāvatī), the feminine form of सुखवत् (sukhavat, literally “full of joy”).


月見里

月見里 (canonical)
Yamanashi (romanization)

Unknown. The kanji spelling appears to be ateji, which would normally be read as tsukimi sato (literally “moon viewing village”).
One possible derivation suggests that this comes from an old alternate name for the village of Yamanashi in Shizuoka Prefecture (spelled 山梨; annexed into the city of Fukuroi in 1963), such that the old spelling was used for the new name. However, this explanation is probably apocryphal.
An alternative explanation is that the spelling is an old pun. The area around Yamanashi village is relatively flat, and the story goes that the reading yama nashi originally meant 山 (yama, “mountains”) + 無し (nashi, “without, lacking, none”). The spelling 月見里 apparently was in reference to the unobstructed view of the moon. There is also a line from the epitaph of early Heian-period noh playwright Tachibana no Hayanari that uses this spelling and reading, and the sense of “unobstructed view of the moon”:
:都(みやこ)をば今(いま)は遥(はる)かに遠江(とほたふみ)月(つき)の隈(くま)なき月見里(やまなし)の郷(さと)
miyako o ba ima wa haruka ni Tōtōmi tsuki no kuma naki Yamanashi no sato
Leaving the city now far behind to the village of Yamanashi in Tōtōmi province, with nothing to shade the moon.

ja-usex

都をば今は遥かに遠江%月の隈なき月見里の郷

みやこ を ば いま は はるか に ^とほたふみ% つき の くま なき ^やまなし の さと


月見里

月見里 (canonical)
Tsukimisato (romanization)

Appears to be a straightforward compound of 月見 (tsukimi, “moon viewing”) + 里 (sato, “village”).


四月一日

四月一日 (canonical)
Watanuki (romanization)


金剛

金剛 (canonical)
Kongō (romanization)
Kongau (romanization)
こんがう (hiragana historical)

/komʉ kau/ → /koŋɡau/ → /koŋɡɔː/ → /koŋɡoː/
From Middle Chinese 金剛 (MC kim kang), itself a translation of Sanskrit वज्र (vajra, “diamond, adamant; thunderbolt”).
Compare modern Cantonese 金剛 /金刚 (gam¹ gong¹).

der

a surname, especially used by masters of the Kongō-ryū


屋敷

From 屋(や) (ya, “house”) + 敷(しき) (shiki, “building site”, short for 敷(しき)地(ち) (shikichi)).


半藤

半藤 (canonical)
Hantō (romanization)
Fantou (romanization)
はんとう (hiragana historical)


いちょう

ja-pos

いちょう • (Ichō)


薬師

Translation of Sanskrit भैषज्यगुरु (Bhaiṣajyaguru, literally “medicine master”).


かわぎし

From 川(かわ) (kawa, “river; stream; brook”) + 岸(きし) (kishi, “shore; bank; coast”). The kishi changes to gishi as an instance of rendaku (連濁).


ひろし

Various theories, the most common being a nominalization of classical adjective 広し (hiroshi), modern 広い (hiroi, “spacious, vast, wide”).


高木

高木正雄

Takagi Masao (Japanese name of Park Chung Hee)


幸平

ja-pos

幸(こう)平(へい) or 幸(ゆき)平(ひら) • (Kōhei or Yukihira)

幸平 (canonical)
幸平 (canonical)
Kōhei (romanization)
Yukihira (romanization)


真澄

真澄 (canonical)
Masumi (romanization)
真澄 (canonical)
Mazumi (romanization)

Compound of 真(ま) (ma, “true”) + 澄(すみ) (sumi, “lucidity”), the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of 澄む (sumu, “to become clear or transparent”).


信夫

信夫 (canonical)
Shinobu (romanization)
信夫 (canonical)
Nobuo (romanization)


円谷

ja-pos

円(つむら)谷(や) or 円(つぶら)谷(や) • (Tsumuraya or Tsuburaya)

円谷 (canonical)
円谷 (canonical)
Tsumuraya (romanization)
Tsuburaya (romanization)
圓谷 (alternative)
圓 (alternative)
kyūjitai (alternative)
円 (alternative)
円 (alternative)
shinjitai (alternative)
圓 (alternative)

Eiichi Tsumuraya (圓谷英一): born name of Eiji Tsuburaya (円谷英二)

Kōkichi Tsumuraya (円谷幸吉): born name of Kōkichi Tsuburaya (円谷幸吉)

Eiji Tsuburaya (円谷英二, 1901-70), a Japanese special effects director, filmmaker, and cinematographer.

Kōkichi Tsuburaya (円谷幸吉, 1940-68), a Japanese athlete who competed mainly as a marathoner.


三浦

Compound of 三 (mi; san, “three”) + 浦 (ura; ho, “inlet, bay”).


大蔵

大蔵 (canonical)
Ōkura (romanization)
大蔵 (canonical)
Daizō (romanization)


筒井

筒井 (canonical)
Tsutsui (romanization)
Tutwi (romanization)
つつゐ (hiragana historical)


鶴岡

ja-pos

鶴(つる)岡(おか) • (Tsuruoka) ^(←つるをか (Turwoka)?)

鶴岡 (canonical)
Tsuruoka (romanization)
Turwoka (romanization)
つるをか (hiragana historical)


相川

相(あい)川(かわ) or 相川(そうかわ) • (Aikawa or Sōkawa)

相川 (canonical)
相川 (canonical)
Aikawa (romanization)
Sōkawa (romanization)


青木

青木 (canonical)
Aoki (romanization)
Awoki (romanization)
あをき (hiragana historical)

青(あお) (ao, “blue, green”) + 木(き) (ki, “tree”)


浅井

浅井 (canonical)
浅井 (canonical)
Asai (romanization)
Azai (romanization)


飯田

飯田 (canonical)
Īda (romanization)
Ifida (romanization)
いひだ (hiragana historical)


石川

ja-pos

石(いし)川(かわ) • (Ishikawa) ^(←いしかは (Isikafa)?)

石(いし)川(がわ) • (Ishigawa) ^(←いしがは (Isigafa)?)

石川 (canonical)
Ishikawa (romanization)
Isikafa (romanization)
いしかは (hiragana historical)
石川 (canonical)
Ishigawa (romanization)
Isigafa (romanization)
いしがは (hiragana historical)

→ Chinese: 石川 (Shíchuān)

→ English: Ishikawa, Ishigawa

[iɕiɡa̠β̞a̠]

Compound of 石(いし) (ishi, “stone”) + 川(かわ) (kawa, “river”). The kawa changes to gawa as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

ja-com

石川馨

Kaoru Ishikawa, organizational theorist known for the Ishikawa diagram


上田

上田 (canonical)
Ueda (romanization)
Ufeda (romanization)
うへだ (hiragana historical)

Russian: Уэ́да f (Uéda)


上野

上野 (canonical)
Ueno (romanization)
Ufeno (romanization)
うへの (hiragana historical)

From 上 (ue, “up, above; top”) + 野 (no, “area, field”).


上原

ja-pos

上(うえ)原(はら) • (Uehara) ^(←うへはら (Ufefara)?)

上(うえ)原(ばら) • (Uebara) ^(←うへばら (Ufebara)?)

上(うわ)原(はら) • (Uwahara) ^(←うははら (Ufafara)?)

上(うわ)原(ばら) • (Uwabara) ^(←うはばら (Ufabara)?)

上(うわ)原(ばる) • (Uwabaru) ^(←うはばる (Ufabaru)?)

上原 (canonical)
Uehara (romanization)
Ufefara (romanization)
うへはら (hiragana historical)
上原 (canonical)
Uebara (romanization)
Ufebara (romanization)
うへばら (hiragana historical)
上原 (canonical)
Uwahara (romanization)
Ufafara (romanization)
うははら (hiragana historical)
上原 (canonical)
Uwabara (romanization)
Ufabara (romanization)
うはばら (hiragana historical)
上原 (canonical)
Uwabaru (romanization)
Ufabaru (romanization)
うはばる (hiragana historical)

→ English: Uehara

[ɯ̟e̞ha̠ɾa̠]

[ɯ̟e̞ba̠ɾa̠]

[ɯ̟β̞a̠ha̠ɾa̠]

[ɯ̟β̞a̠ba̠ɾa̠]

[ɯ̟β̞a̠ba̠ɾɯ̟]

The hara/haru changes to bara/baru as an instance of rendaku (連濁).


大沢

大(おお)沢(さわ) • (Ōsawa) ^(←おほさは (Ofosafa)?)

大沢 (canonical)
Ōsawa (romanization)
Ofosafa (romanization)
おほさは (hiragana historical)


大島

大(おお)島(しま) • (Ōshima) ^(←おほしま (Ofosima)?)

大島 (canonical)
Ōshima (romanization)
Ofosima (romanization)
おほしま (hiragana historical)

Compound of 大(おお) (ō, “great, big, grand, large”) + 島(しま) (shima, “island”).


大津

大津 (canonical)
Ōtsu (romanization)
Ofotu (romanization)
おほつ (hiragana historical)

Compound of 大 (ō, “big, large”) + 津 (tsu, “harbor, port”).


岡田

岡田 (canonical)
Okada (romanization)
Wokada (romanization)
をかだ (hiragana historical)
岡田 (canonical)
Okata (romanization)
Wokata (romanization)
をかた (hiragana historical)

→ Chinese: 岡田 /冈田 (Gāngtián)

→ English: Okada

Compound of 岡(おか) (oka, “hillock”) + 田(た) (ta, “rice field”). The ta changes to da as an instance of rendaku (連濁).


長田

ja-pos

長田(おさだ) or 長(なが)田(た) • (Osada or Nagata)

長田 (canonical)
長田 (canonical)
Osada (romanization)
Nagata (romanization)


小沢

小沢 (canonical)
Ozawa (romanization)
Wozafa (romanization)
をざは (hiragana historical)


織田

織田 (canonical)
Oda (romanization)
織田 (canonical)
Ota (romanization)

→ English: Oda, Ota

The ta changes to da as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

織田信長


大城

大(おお)城(しろ) • (Ōshiro) ^(←おほしろ (Ofosiro)?)

大城 (canonical)
Ōshiro (romanization)
Ofosiro (romanization)
おほしろ (hiragana historical)


小野

小野 (canonical)
Ono (romanization)
Wono (romanization)
をの (hiragana historical)


甲斐

甲斐 (canonical)
Kai (romanization)
Kafi (romanization)
かひ (hiragana historical)

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Man'yōshū of 759.
Derived from the 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 代(か)う (kau, “to exchange or replace one thing with another”), with the basic sense being "that which should be the result / outcome / replacement".


香川

香川 (canonical)
Kagawa (romanization)
Kagafa (romanization)
かがは (hiragana historical)

[ka̠ɡa̠β̞a̠]


金沢

ja-pos

金(かな)沢(ざわ) • (Kanazawa) ^(←かなざは (Kanazafa)?)

金沢 (canonical)
Kanazawa (romanization)
Kanazafa (romanization)
かなざは (hiragana historical)

Compound of 金(かな) (kana, “metal; gold”, combining form of stand-alone reading kane) + 沢(さわ) (sawa, “marsh, swamp; mountain brook or stream”). The sawa changes to zawa as an instance of rendaku (連濁).


神田

From a territory controlled by Shinto shrine.


北川

ja-pos

北(きた)川(がわ) • (Kitagawa) ^(←きたがは (Kitagafa)?)

北川 (canonical)
Kitagawa (romanization)
Kitagafa (romanization)
きたがは (hiragana historical)


桑原

桑(くわ)原(はら) or 桑(くわ)原(ばら) • (Kuwahara or Kuwabara)

桑原 (canonical)
桑原 (canonical)
Kuwahara (romanization)
Kuwabara (romanization)

桑原桑原

桑原桑原 くわばらくわばら


小阪

Compound of 小 (ko, “little”) + 坂 (saka, “hill”).


佐伯

佐伯 (canonical)
Saeki (romanization)
Safeki (romanization)
さへき (hiragana historical)


榊原

榊原 (canonical)
Sakakibara (romanization)

From 榊 (sakaki, “Cleyera japonica”) + 原 (hara, “uncultivated field”).
The hara changes to bara as an instance of rendaku (連濁).


桜井

ja-pos

桜(さくら)井(い) • (Sakurai) ^(←さくらゐ (Sakurawi)?)

桜井 (canonical)
Sakurai (romanization)
Sakurawi (romanization)
さくらゐ (hiragana historical)

→ Chinese: 櫻井 /樱井 (Yīngjǐng)

→ English: Sakurai


佐野

From Old Japanese. First attested as 姐奴 from the 3rd century Wei Zhi.


塩谷

塩谷 (canonical)
Shiotani (romanization)
塩谷 (canonical)
Shioya (romanization)


篠田

→ English: Shinoda

desc

→ Russian: Синода (Sinoda), Шинода (Šinoda)


島田

島田 (canonical)
Shimada (romanization)
島田 (canonical)
Shimata (romanization)

→ Chinese: 島田 /岛田 (Dǎotián)

→ English: Shimada

Compound of 島(しま) (shima, “island”) + 田(た) (ta, “rice field”). Literally, “island-like field”. The ta changes to da as an instance of rendaku (連濁).


高井

→ English: Takai

→ Portuguese: Takai


高田

ja-pos

高(たか)田(だ) or 高(たか)田(た) • (Takada or Takata)

高田 (canonical)
高田 (canonical)
Takada (romanization)
Takata (romanization)


立花

Compound of 立ち (tachi, “standing”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 立つ tatsu, “to stand”) + 花 (hana, “flower”). The hana changes to bana as an instance of rendaku (連濁).


伊達

From earlier いだて or いだち. Further source unknown. Kanji 伊 became silent in the Muromachi Period.

伊達政宗


寺本

English: Teramoto


土井

土井 (canonical)
Doi (romanization)
Dowi (romanization)
どゐ (hiragana historical)

土井一可

Hitoka Doi, neurologist known for Doi sign


定祐

ja-pos

定(じょう)祐(ゆう) • (Jōyū)

[d͡ʑo̞ːjɯ̟ː]


戸田

Chinese: 戶田 /户田 (Hùtián)


中田

中(なか)田(た) or 中(なか)田(だ) • (Nakata or Nakada)

中田 (canonical)
中田 (canonical)
Nakata (romanization)
Nakada (romanization)


長冨

長(なが)冨(とみ) or 長(なが)冨(どみ) • (Nagatomi or Nagadomi)

長冨 (canonical)
長冨 (canonical)
Nagatomi (romanization)
Nagadomi (romanization)


長野

Russian: Нага́но m or f (Nagáno)


永淵

永(なが)淵(ふち) or 永(なが)淵(ぶち) • (Nagafuchi or Nagabuchi)

永淵 (canonical)
永淵 (canonical)
Nagafuchi (romanization)
Nagabuchi (romanization)


西岡

西(にし)岡(おか) • (Nishioka) ^(←にしをか (Nisiwoka)?)

西岡 (canonical)
Nishioka (romanization)
Nisiwoka (romanization)
にしをか (hiragana historical)

→ English: Nishioka

Compound of 西(にし) (nishi, “the west”) + 岡(おか) (oka, “hillock”), literally, “hill on the west”.


西口

西口 (canonical)
Nishiguchi (romanization)


野村

野村哲也


橋本

Compound of 橋(はし) (hashi, “bridge”) + 本(もと) (moto, “origin; base”).


長谷川

ja-pos

長谷(はせ)川(がわ) • (Hasegawa) ^(←はせがは (Fasegafa)?)

長(なが)谷(たに)川(がわ) • (Nagatanigawa) ^(←ながたにがは (Nagatanigafa)?)

長(なが)谷(や)川(がわ) • (Nagayagawa) ^(←ながやがは (Nagayagafa)?)

長谷川 (canonical)
Hasegawa (romanization)
Fasegafa (romanization)
はせがは (hiragana historical)
長谷川 (canonical)
Nagatanigawa (romanization)
Nagatanigafa (romanization)
ながたにがは (hiragana historical)
長谷川 (canonical)
Nagayagawa (romanization)
Nagayagafa (romanization)
ながやがは (hiragana historical)

→ Chinese: 長谷川 /长谷川 (Chánggǔchuān)

→ English: Hasegawa

[na̠ɡa̠ta̠ɲ̟iɡa̠β̞a̠]

[na̠ɡa̠ja̠ɡa̠β̞a̠]

From 長谷 (Hase / Nagatani / Nagaya, placename) + 川 (kawa, “river”). The kawa changes to gawa as an instance of rendaku (連濁).


長谷

/patuse/ → /fatuse/ → /fase/ →/hase/
From the 枕(まくら)詞(ことば) (makura kotoba, “pillow word”) 長(なが)谷(たに)の泊(はつ)瀬(せ) (nagatani no Hatsuse, literally, "the long valley of Hatsuse"); the modern notation of 泊(はつ)瀬(せ) (Hatsuse) being 初(はつ)瀬(せ). Evolved into Hase by sound change.
The modern location of Hatsuse is in Sakurai, Nara Prefecture.

ja-r

なが%たに の ^はつ%せ


長谷

ja-pos

長(おさ)谷(たに) or 長(ちょう)谷(たに) or 長(ちょう)谷(や) • (Osatani or Chōtani or Chōya)

長谷 (canonical)
長谷 (canonical)
長谷 (canonical)
Osatani (romanization)
Chōtani (romanization)
Chōya (romanization)


長谷

長(なが)谷(たに) or 長(なが)谷(や) • (Nagatani or Nagaya)

長谷 (canonical)
長谷 (canonical)
Nagatani (romanization)
Nagaya (romanization)