嘴

[kɯ̟̊ᵝt͡ɕiba̠ɕi]

Daijisen#Online_search_engines
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
ja:くちばし

Originally from 口(くち) (kuchi, “mouth”) + 端(はし) (hashi, “tip; edge”). The hashi changes to bashi as an instance of rendaku (連濁).
First attested around 850 CE.
The kanji is composed of 口(くち) (kuchi) and 觜(はし) (hashi, “beak; bill”). See also Etymology 2.

ja-com

くちばしがとても大きく、大声で鳴き気の弱い相手を驚かせる。

1999 March 1, “スピック [Spick]”, in BOOSTER 1, Konami

It frightens faint-hearted opponents with its blaring wails and massive bill.

Kuchibashi ga totemo ōkiku, ōgoe de naki kinoyowai aite o odorokaseru.

ヘビのように長い体をまるめ、回転しながらくちばしで攻撃。

1999 March 1, “ディッグ・ビーク [Dig Beak]”, in BOOSTER 1, Konami

It attacks with its beak as its long body coils like a snake.

Hebi no yō ni nagai karada o marume, kaiten shi nagara kuchibashi de kōgeki.

相手を長い体で締め上げ、大きなくちばしでつついて攻撃。

1999 October 17, “くちばしヘビ [Beaked Snake]”, in BOOSTER 5, Konami

It attacks by pecking at its opponent with its huge beak while constricting them with its long body.

Aite o nagai karada de shimeage, ōkina kuchibashi de tsutsuite kōgeki.


嘴

Cognate with 端(はし) (hashi, “tip; edge”).


妃

妃 (canonical)
妃 (canonical)
kisaki (romanization)
kisai (romanization)

Regina, æ . reina . qisàqi .

1632, Diego Collado, Dictionarium sive thesauri linguae Iaponicae compendium, page 112

(please add an English translation of this quotation)


姪

姪 (canonical)
mei (romanization)
mefi (romanization)
めひ (hiragana historical)

/me1hi/: [mepi] → [meɸi] → [mewi] → [mei]. Initial /me/ is cognate with 女 (me₁, “female”).


学

ja-pos

学(さとる) or 学(まなぶ) or 学(まこと) • (Satoru or Manabu or Makoto)

学 (canonical)
学 (canonical)
学 (canonical)
Satoru (romanization)
Manabu (romanization)
Makoto (romanization)

From Middle Chinese 學 (MC haewk, “learning”).
The goon pronunciation, so likely the initial borrowing.


回

回 (canonical)
kai (romanization)
kwai (romanization)
くわい (hiragana historical)

From Middle Chinese 回 (MC hwoj).
The kan'on pronunciation, so likely a later borrowing.


宴

Alteration of 打ち上げ (uchiage, “finishing of a performance, banquet at the finishing of a performance”).


宴

From Middle Chinese 宴 (ʔenᴴ, “banquet, feast”).


寅

the Tiger, the third of the twelve Earthly Branches


婆

Possibly a reduplication of 姥 (uba, “old woman”).


岬

Daijisen#Online_search_engines
Kōjien
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Nihon Shoki
Shinmura Izuru
ja:岬

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Nihon Shoki of 720.
Analyzable as a compound of み (mi, see below) + 先 (saki, “tip, point; promontory”).
The mi prefix is likely the honorific prefix 御 (mi-), and the term misaki is attested explicitly with the spelling 御碕 (mi-saki) in the Nihon Shoki.
Alternative theories as to the identity of the み (mi) include:
* 水 (mi, “water”, bound prefix form of 水 (mizu)), although the semantics this suggests may instead mean “water tip”, i.e. a jutting-out of water, not of land — an inlet.
* Shift from 海 (umi, “sea”), with the same consideration as above.

affix

襟裳岬


嬰

From Middle Chinese 嬰 (MC 'jieng).
The kan'on pronunciation, so likely a later borrowing.

嬰ヘ ― eie ― F-sharp


峻

峻 (canonical)
Shun (romanization)
峻 (canonical)
Takashi (romanization)


土

Short form of the ateji spelling 土耳古(トルコ) (Toruko).


土

Ultimately from Middle Chinese 土 (MC duX).


岩

岩 (canonical)
iwa (romanization)
ifa (romanization)
いは (hiragana historical)

/ipa/ → /ifa/ → /iwa/
From Old Japanese. Found in the Man'yōshū finished some time after 759 CE.

体が岩のため守備は高い。太い腕のひと振りに注意。

1999 July 22, “岩窟魔人オーガ・ロック [Cave Jinn Ogre Rock]”, in Vol.4, Konami

Its defence is strong thanks to its rock body. Watch out for a swing of its massive arms.

Karada ga iwa no tame shubi wa takai. Futoi ude no hitofuri ni chūi.


夕

夕 (canonical)
yū (romanization)
yufu (romanization)
ゆふ (hiragana historical)

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *yupu.


寺

Tanjō Temple: any of various Buddhist temple

寺印

the official stamp or seal of a Buddhist temple


寺

寺 (canonical)
tera (romanization)
軒 (counter)

Daijirin
Daijisen
Man'yōshū
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Nihon Shoki
ja:松村明

From Old Japanese. Appears in the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE, and in the Man'yōshū, completed some time after 759 CE.
There are various theories regarding the ultimate derivation.
* Some sources derive Japanese tera from an ancestor of Middle Korean 졀 (jeol) (likely Baekje). This is from earlier 뎔 (dyeol, “temple”) and is the nativised reading of 찰 (刹, chal, “Buddhist temple”) below, deriving in turn from Middle Chinese 剎 (MC tsrhaet), shortened from 剎多羅 (MC tsrhaet ta la, “Buddhist monastery, temple or shrine”), borrowed from Sanskrit क्षेत्र (kṣetra, “land, area, domain”), from Proto-Indo-Aryan *ṭṣáytram, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *ćšáytram, from Proto-Indo-European *tḱéytrom.
* Other sources describe Japanese tera as cognate with modern Korean 찰 (刹, chal, “temple”), appearing as a component in terms such as 선찰 (禪刹, seonchal, “Zen temple”), 사찰 (寺刹, sachal, “Buddhist temple”).
* Another derivation is given as Pali thera (“elders”) in reference to the monks.
Considering the phonetic development in Korean, the avenues for transmission of Buddhist terms to Japan, and the consistent temple sense of the Japanese term throughout recorded history, the now-obsolete Korean 뎔 (dyeol, “temple”) may be a more likely source than Pali thera (“elders”).


妻

From 端 (tsuma, “side, edge”), indicating the person who is at the side of someone: a spouse. Compare the English expression better half.
This term originally referred to either a male (husband) or female (wife) spouse. In modern usage, this term refers only to a female spouse.


密

From Middle Chinese 密 (MC mit).
First cited to a text from 1092.

(Buddhism) the teachings of esoteric Buddhism


将

将 (canonical)
Shō (romanization)
syau (romanization)
しやう (hiragana historical)

/sɨau/ → /sʲɔː/ → /sʲoː/
The “commander”, and “general, other high-ranking officer” senses are from Middle Chinese 將 (MC tsjangH).
The “take, hold” and “from now on” affixes are from Middle Chinese 將 (MC tsjang).


将

[sɨᵝsɨᵝmɯ̟ᵝ]

(The following entry is uncreated: はた.)
Nominalization of verb 進む (susumu, “to advance, go”).


将

[ma̠sa̠ɾɯ̟ᵝ]

Nominalization of verb 勝る (masaru, “to excel, rival, surpass”).


将

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


巌

巌 (canonical)
Iwao (romanization)
ifafo (romanization)
いはほ (hiragana historical)

/ipa po/ → /ifafo/ → /iwawo/ → /iwao/
From Old Japanese. Found in the Man'yōshū finished some time after 759 CE.
Originally a compound of 岩 (ipa → iwa, “boulder; crag”) + 秀 (po → ho, “something tall and prominent”, cognate with 穂 (ho, “ear of grain”), from the sense of something prominent sticking upwards).
The character is Japanese shinjitai, simplified from 巖.

compound

cognate with <i class="Jpan mention" lang="ja">穂</i> (ho, “ear of grain”), from the sense of something prominent sticking upwards


塵

塵 (canonical)
jin (romanization)
ぢん (hiragana historical)

From Middle Chinese 塵 (MC drin). First attested in a Buddhist text from the 600s.


庄

ja-pos

庄(しょう) • (Shō)


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”).

compound

Miya. ミヤ (宮) 神 (Camis)の社.

(Shinto) the place where a god resides: a shrine

(Buddhism) a temple holding a Buddhist statue


宮

宮 (canonical)
kyū (romanization)
kyuu (romanization)
きゆう (hiragana historical)

From Middle Chinese 宮 (MC kjuwng, “dwelling; palace; note on a scale”). Compare modern Min Nan reading kiong.

ltc-l

(traditional music of China and Japan) the keynote or tonic of a musical scale, such as do in the do re mi scale notation of solfège

黄道十二宮、宝瓶宮

the twelve signs of the zodiac, the house of Aquarius

(astronomy, astrology) a zodiac sign or house, defined as one-twelfth of the circle of the ecliptic


官

官 (canonical)
kan (romanization)
kwan (romanization)
くわん (hiragana historical)

public; state-owned (use, facility, etc.)


官

(obsolete) short for 太(だい)政(じょう)官(かん) (daijōkan).


尺

尺 (canonical)
尺 (canonical)
shaku (romanization)
seki (romanization)

(zoology) The geometer moth (Geometra papilionaria)


場

Kōjien
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Shinmura Izuru

table
/nipa/ → */niba/*/ⁿba/ → /ba/
An alteration from Old Japanese 庭 (nipa), modern 庭 (niwa, “garden, yard”).
First cited to a text from 1275.


幕

幕 (canonical)
maku (romanization)
まく (hiragana historical)

act (division of theatrical performance)


屍

From Old Japanese. Found in the Man'yōshū, completed some time after 759 CE, and also cited to the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE.
Appears to be a compound. Ultimate derivation unknown.


屍

Compound of 死 (shi, “death; dead”) + 屍 (kabane, “corpse”).
First cited to the late 1100s.

compound

その者、降臨せしむれば、灼熱の疾風大地に吹き荒れ、生きとし生ける者すべて屍とならん。

2014 July 5, “オベリスクの巨神兵 [Obelisk the Giant God Soldier]”, in 決闘王の記憶 －決闘都市編－ [Memories of the Duel King: Battle City Edition], Konami

Once this being descends with burning winds sweeping over the land, all living things shall turn into corpses.

Sono mono, kōrinseshi mureba, shakunetsu no shippū daichi ni fukiare, ikitoshiikeru mono subete shikabane tonaran.


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”).


尚

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


尚

尚 (canonical)
Nao (romanization)
nafo (romanization)
なほ (hiragana historical)


尚

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


尚

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


崖

From Middle Chinese 崖 (MC ngje|ngea, “cliff, precipice”). Not attested in isolation. First attested in compound 崖岸 (gaigan, “cliff shore, cliff bank”) in 900.


崖

Edo period
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Nippo Jisho
崖

Shift from older pronunciation kake. First attested in 1280.
May be a shift in usage from compounding element kake as in the synonymous terms 懸路 (kakeji), 懸道 (kakemichi, “cliff road, steep mountain road”), where the kake comes from verb 懸ける (kakeru, “to set into; to set across”), from the way the road would be set into the cliff or mountain.
The change from kake to gake apparently happened some time during the Edo period (1603–1868). This term is recorded as Caqe (then-current Portuguese orthography for modern romanization kake) in the 1603 Nippo Jisho Japanese-Portuguese dictionary.


崖

From Old Japanese. Further derivation unclear.
First attested in the Man'yōshū of 759.
Modern references either omit this reading entirely or provide no pitch accent information for this reading, suggesting that it might be archaic or even obsolete in modern usage.

(archaic, possibly obsolete) steep slope or incline; collapsed part of a levee or embankment


崖

Derivation unclear. First attested in the late 1100s.
Modern references either omit this reading entirely or provide no pitch accent information for this reading, suggesting that it might be archaic or even obsolete in modern usage.

(archaic, possibly obsolete) a steep area on a mountainside, a cliff


崖

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


巳

Chinese zodiac
Jōdai Tokushu Kanazukai
Kōjien
Shinmura Izuru
Shōsōin
ja:巳

Assumed to be an abbreviation of 蛇 (hemi, “snake”, modern reading hebi).
Philological analyses presume this was read as mi₂ in Old Japanese, as names 身麻呂 (mi₂maro₂, “a male born on the year of the Snake”) and 身売 (mi₂me₁, “a female born on the year of the Snake”) were recorded in Shōsōin documents, alongside other names born on the Chinese zodiac.

the Snake, the sixth of the twelve Earthly Branches (by extension):

a year corresponding to the year of the Snake

south-southeast: a direction pointed thirty degrees from south to east

Mi. ミ (巳) 例, Minotoqi (巳の時) 午前八時から十時まで.
Mi. ミ (巳) 例, Minotoqi (巳の時) 午前八時から十時まで.
Mi. Example: Minotoki (time of the Snake). A time from 8 AM to 10 AM.


巳

the Snake, the sixth of the twelve Earthly Branches


庚

ja-pos

庚(こう) • (Kō)


庚

金 (Ka, “Metal”, one of the Five Elements) + の (no, attributive marker) + 兄 (e, “elder brother”)


外

(Buddhism) non-Buddhist teachings or texts


局

a room in a palace, especially for a lady


廬

廬 (canonical)
io (romanization)
ifo (romanization)
いほ (hiragana historical)

/ipo₁/ → /iɸo/ → /iwo/ → /iho/ → /io/
From Old Japanese. Possibly related to 家 (ie, “house”).


廬

廬 (canonical)
iori (romanization)
ifori (romanization)
いほり (hiragana historical)

/ihori/: *[ipori] → [iɸori] → [iwori] → [iori]. The nominalization of verb 庵る (ioru).

a small hut for hermits and priests; a hermitage


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”).


嵐

/ram/ → /ramʉ/ → /ran/
From Middle Chinese 嵐 (MC lom).


崎

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE.

﨑

now nonstandard and only remaining in given names


太

[ɸɯ̟̊ᵝto̞ɕi]

The Old Japanese 終止形 (shūshikei, “terminal (sentence-final) form”) of adjective 太い (futoi, “fat, thick, big”).


弘

弘 (canonical)
Hiroshi (romanization)
弘 (canonical)
Hiromu (romanization)


尼

Clipping of アマゾン (Amazon, “Amazon.com Inc”).

clipping

あ、空戦アルト売ってる（´・ω・`）でも明日尼から届くから
A, kūsen-Aruto utteru (´ ω `) demo asu Ama kara todoku kara

2019 December 19, 闇陰ひかる@騎士団長兼任提督, Twitter

Ah, aerial combat version of Alt is sold :( but I'll get it from Amazon tomorrow

(Internet slang, dated) Amazon (Amazon.com Inc)


夏

夏炉冬扇

summer fires, winter fans; useless things

春夏秋冬

春夏秋冬 しゅんかしゅうとう


夏

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


夏

From Middle Chinese 夏 (MC haeH). The goon reading, so likely the initial borrowing.
Also used in the Man'yōshū (759 CE) as 借音 (shakuon) kana for ⟨ge₁⟩.

(Buddhism) summer according to the lunisolar calendar; the ninety days starting from the sixteenth day of the fourth month until the fifteenth day of the seventh month


夏

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

the Xia dynasty (first dynasty of China)

Short for 大夏 (Daika): Xia, one of the Sixteen Kingdoms

大夏

Short for 西夏 (Seika): Western Xia, an empire during the Song dynasty


従

従一位

従三位

従九位

(history) "junior" ranking for 位 (-i, “Japanese courtier rank”)


庭

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

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


孫

(rare) descendant (usually of a certain generation)


守

[ma̠mo̞ɾɯ̟ᵝ]


巧

巧 (canonical)
Kō (romanization)
kau (romanization)
かう (hiragana historical)


地

地 (canonical)
ji (romanization)
ぢ (hiragana historical)

From Middle Chinese 地 (dijᴴ). The goon reading, so likely the initial borrowing. Compare modern Mandarin dì.


地

From Middle Chinese 地 (dijᴴ). The kan'on reading, so likely a later borrowing. The devoicing of the initial consonant might indicate a dialectal source. Compare modern Hakka thi, Min Nan tī.


幣

(Shinto) paper or cloth offered on skewers before a shrine (see also 幣(へい) (hei))


幣

(Shinto) a staff with cut paper streamers, offered to the gods


幣

(Shinto, historical) material, non-comestible offerings to the gods, often textiles


忠

忠 (canonical)
忠 (canonical)
Tadashi (romanization)


娘

自分で自分の行動に条件をつけちゃうんだよ、この娘—— 例えば、毎年初雪が降るまでモチは食わないとか、霊柩車が通るまで道を渡らないとか、ネコがあくびするまでコタツを出ないとか。
Jibun de jibun no kōdō ni jōken o tsukechaun da yo, kono ko—— Tatoeba, maitoshi hatsuyuki ga furu made mochi wa kuwanai toka, reikyūsha ga tōru made michi o wataranai toka, neko ga akubisuru made kotatsu o denai toka.

1996 February 20 [1988 February 15], Mitsuru Adachi, “テイク・オフ (Teiku Ofu, “Take Off”)”, in ショートプログラム (漫画) (Shōto Puroguramu (manga), “Short Program (manga)”), 25th edition, volume 1 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, page 107

This girl, I’m telling you, she sets terms for every of her own actions— Like, not eating mochi until the first snowfall of each year, not crossing the street until the hearse passes by, or not leaving the kotatsu until her cat yawns.


惇

ja-pos

惇(あつし) or 惇(じゅん) or 惇(つとむ) • (Atsushi or Jun or Tsutomu)

惇 (canonical)
惇 (canonical)
惇 (canonical)
Atsushi (romanization)
Jun (romanization)
Tsutomu (romanization)


妹

⟨imo₁⟩ → */imʷo/ → /imo/
From Old Japanese 妹 (imo₁). First cited in the Kojiki of 712.
Speculatively, may be related to terms such as 女 (me₁, womi₁na, “woman”), 嫗 (omi₁na, “elderly woman”), and 母 (omo, “mother”), wherein the medial /-m-/ appears to signify woman, female. However, the difference in vowel values presents a difficulty.

(archaic, said from a male speaker) a close female companion

one's sister regardless of age difference

かりごもの思ひ乱れて我恋ふといも知るらめや人し告げずは

905–914, Kokin Wakashū (book 11, poem 485)

karigomo no omoimidarete ware kou to imo shirurame ya hito shi tsugezu wa

one's lover or sweetheart who is the subject of marriage or is already married

(archaic, said from a female speaker) a close female companion


妹

妹 (canonical)
imōto (romanization)
いもっ (alternative hiragana)
imo' (Rōmaji alternative hiragana)

Daijirin
Daijisen#Online_search_engines
The Tales of Ise

/imo ɸito/ → /imowito/ → */imowuto/ → /imoːto/
Originally a compound of 妹 (imo, “sister, close female companion”) + 人 (hito, “person”). First cited in The Tales of Ise of the early 900s.
This is an instance of ウ音便 (u onbin, “u sound shift”), found in terms with bilabial consonants (/m/, /b/, /w/) followed by i; commonly seen in terms such as 玄人 (kurōto, “professional”), 素人 (shirōto, “amateur”), or possibly, 相撲 (sumō, “sumo”).

com

the wife of one's younger brother; one's sister-in-law

(archaic, said from a male speaker) one's sister regardless of age difference


妹

Kōjien
Nihon Shoki
Shinmura Izuru
The Tale of Heiji

Analyzed as a shortening of imōto, itself a compound 妹 (imo, “sister, close female companion”) + 人 (hito, “person”).
Appears in The Tale of Heiji, written around the mid-12th century. May be much older, as this reading is also included in kun'yomi glosses for the Nihon Shoki of 720 (although the manuscripts with the glosses themselves are not as old).


市

From Old Japanese 市 (ichi). Found in the Kojiki of 712 CE.


怜

怜 (canonical)
Satoshi (romanization)
怜 (canonical)
Rei (romanization)


徹

徹 (canonical)
徹 (canonical)
Akira (romanization)
Tōru (romanization)


夢

⟨i me₂⟩ → */jiməɨ/ → /jɨme/ → /jume/
Shift from Old Japanese 夢 (ime₂), itself a compound of 寝 (i, “sleep, sleeping”, obsolete) + 目 (me, “eye; sight, vision”).
Appears in texts from the 900s.

これはなんです！
Kore wa nan desu!
What is this!?
こ これは夢カメラといって……
Ko kore wa Yume Kamera to itte……
Th– This was taken with the Dream Camera…
なにをユメみたいなこといってるんですか

1989 November 10 [1988 May 25], Fujiko F. Fujio, “夢カメラ [Dream Camera]”, in 征地球論 [A Debate over Conquering Earth] (藤子・Ｆ・不二雄 ＳＦ全短編; 3), 2nd edition, volume 3 (fiction), Tokyo: Chuokoronsha, 第二章, page 275

Nani o yume mitai na koto itterun desu ka


役

From Middle Chinese 役 (MC ywek). The goon reading, so likely the initial borrowing.

(card games, mahjong) hand, scoring combination


尊

From Old Japanese.
Derived from 御 (mi-, honorific prefix) + 事 (koto, “thing, matter”).

高皇産霊尊

高皇産霊 たかみむすひの

(Shinto) indicates respect and reverence, such as to the 神 (kami, “Shinto deity”) or the 天皇 (tennō, “Emperor of Japan”): Highness


尊

From Middle Chinese 尊 (MC tswon).
Compare modern Mandarin 尊 (zūn).


尊

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


尊

Various theories exist, possibly a nominalization of verb 長ける (takeru, “to excel at”).


恵

恵 (canonical)
e (romanization)
ゑ (hiragana historical)

/we/ → /e/
From Middle Chinese 惠 (MC hwejH), itself a translation of Sanskrit प्राज्ञा (prājñā, “wisdom”).
The goon reading, so likely the initial borrowing.

Noble Eightfold Path
w:Noble Eightfold Path

恵, 慧: (especially in Buddhism) wisdom (especially prajna, one of the three divisions of the Noble Eightfold Path)


恵

/kwei/ → /kei/ → /keː/
From Middle Chinese 惠 (MC hwejH).
The kan'on reading, so likely a later borrowing.


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”).


恵

Nominalization of 恵む (megumu, “to give (in charity); to bless, to be kind”).


悠

ja-pos

悠(ゆう) • (Yū)


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).

(Buddhism) a priest's quarter attached to a large Zen temple


口

(Buddhism) (by extension) one's speech, one's words


恋

恋 (canonical)
Koi (romanization)
kofi (romanization)
こひ (hiragana historical)

⟨ko₁pi₂⟩ → /kʷopʷɨ/ → /kofi/ → /kowi/ → /koi/
From Old Japanese.
The 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 恋う (kou, “to love, yearn”).


屋

部屋

room (of a house or hotel), chamber, apartment, flat


式

Short for 結婚式 (kekkon-shiki, “wedding ceremony”).


將

[ma̠sa̠ɾɯ̟ᵝ]

Nominalization of verb 勝る (masaru, “to excel, rival, surpass”).


字

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE.

Taku-gun (Kahoku-shō) no hito. Azana wa Gentoku.

Of Zhuo Commandery. Courtesy name Xuande.


慧

慧 (canonical)
慧 (canonical)
Kei (romanization)
Satoshi (romanization)


左

/hidari/: *[pidari] → [ɸidari] → [çidari].
From Old Japanese. First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE. From Proto-Japonic *pintari.


左

左衛門

左大臣

(history, government) "of the left", senior or superior to 右 (u-, “of the right”)


弟

弟 (canonical)
otōto (romanization)
おとっ (alternative hiragana)
oto' (Rōmaji alternative hiragana)

/otopito/ → /otoɸito/ → /otowito/ → /*otowuto/ → /otouto/ → /otoːto/
Originally a compound of 弟 (oto, “younger sibling”) + 人 (hito, “person”).


態

(grammar) voice - a particular mode of inflecting or conjugating verbs, or a particular form of a verb, by means of which is indicated the relation of the subject of the verb to the action which the verb expresses.


志

志 (canonical)
Yuki (romanization)
志 (canonical)
Koko (romanization)
志 (canonical)
Kokoro (romanization)
志 (canonical)
Nozomi (romanization)
志 (canonical)
Shii (romanization)
志 (canonical)
Nozomu (romanization)
志 (canonical)
Shi (romanization)


律

From Middle Chinese 律 (MC lwit). The 漢音 (kan'on, literally “Han sound”) reading, so likely a later borrowing from Middle Chinese.
The Buddhist senses are a translation of Sanskrit विनय (vinaya, “discipline, guidance, humility”).

der

(law, historical) a criminal code developed in ancient China that was, alongside the 令 (ryō), spread throughout East Asia especially Japan where it was further revised into the 律令 (Ritsuryō) system

(Buddhism) a set of rules for a monastic community

(Buddhism) Short for 律蔵 (Ritsuzō): the Vinaya Piṭaka, one of the Tripitaka

律蔵

(Buddhism) Short for 律儀, 律義 (ritsugi): translation of Sanskrit संवर (saṃvara),

律儀

(music) the six yang (odd-numbered) notes in the 十二律 (jūniritsu) chromatic scale

(music) Short for 律旋 (rissen): a seven-tone scale in gagaku, similar to the Dorian mode in the West


律

(Buddhism) rules of discipline for a monastic community


律

(Buddhism) Short for 律宗 (Risshū): the Risshū school of Buddhism


律

From Middle Chinese 律 (MC lwit).
The 呉音 (goon, literally “Wu sound”) reading, so likely the initial borrowing from Middle Chinese.


巴

巴 (canonical)
tomoe (romanization)
tomowe (romanization)
ともゑ (hiragana historical)

English: tomoe

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.

com

(architecture) a piece of wood, usually a floorboard or an eave, with a tomoe pattern


巴

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


戊

土 (Tsuchi, “Earth”, one of the Five Elements) + の (no, attributive marker) + 兄 (e, “elder brother”)


徒

徒花

blossom that bear no fruit; things which being gorgeous in the pretence but worthless in actuality

蕉風俳諧(しょうふうはいかい) 蕉風俳諧#Japanese

(historical, poetry) the term of the 蕉風俳諧(しょうふうはいかい) (shōfūhaikai, “Bashō style haikai”) to indicate innocent and humorous style


差

From Middle Chinese 差 (MC tsrhje|tsrhea|tsrheaj|tsrhae|tsrheaH).

九十と七十八の差は十二である。

The difference of ninety and seventy-eight is twelve.

Kyūjū to nanajūhachi no sa wa jūni de aru.


夜

⟨yo₁ru⟩ → */jʷoru/ → /joru/
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *yoru.
Derived from yo below, suffixed with an element ru of unclear meaning. Compare 日 (hi, “day”) → 昼 (hiru, “daytime”), which seems to use this same ru element.
Found in the Man'yōshū, completed some time after 759 C.E., with the phonetic spelling 用流.
Now the most common term for night in modern Japanese.

東京の夜

夜の街を歩く
yoru no machi o aruku
to walk the streets at night
(literally, “to walk the night streets”)

不安な夜を過ごす
fuan na yoru o sugosu
to endure a night of anxiety
(literally, “to pass an uneasy night”)

夜の星空を見上げる


夜

⟨yo₁⟩ → /jʷo/ → /jo/
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *yo.
First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE with the phonetic spelling 用.
In modern development, this term has taken on a more literary sense.

『真夏の夜の夢』 ― “^manatsu no ^yo no ^yume” ― A Midsummer Night’s Dream


己

Originally a compound of 土 (tsuchi, “earth”, one of the Chinese five elements) + の (no, possessive particle) + 弟 (oto, “younger brother”).


戌

the Dog, the eleventh of the twelve Earthly Branches


床

From Old Japanese. Attested in the 日本書紀 (Nihon Shoki), completed in 720 and one of the earliest works written in Japanese (see Wikipedia:Nihon Shoki), with a meaning of bed.
According to the 和句解 (Wakuge), published in 1668 by early Edo-period scholar Matsunaga Teitoku (松永貞徳; see Wikipedia:ja:松永貞徳), derives from ゆか (yuka) as the 未然形 (mizenkei, “irrealis form”) stem of the verb 行く (yuku, “to go”) of an original meaning similar to "not going", in reference to a place where one sits down to rest.

(theater) a raised area of a stage where a presenter or musician sits


布

⟨nuno₁⟩ → */nunʷo/ → /nuno/
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *nono.

(architecture) umbrella term for something wide, horizontal, level, parallel, etc. as in a piece of cloth


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.

com+

tongue and groove
tongue and groove#English

(architecture) tongue (projecting part on a board meant to fit into a groove on another board, as in tongue and groove)


実

実 (canonical)
Minoru (romanization)
実 (canonical)
Jitsusaki (romanization)
実 (canonical)
実 (canonical)
Chika (romanization)
Minori (romanization)


弗

弗 (canonical)
弗 (canonical)
futsu (romanization)

Originally borrowed from Middle Chinese 弗 (*pjut), meaning either “not” or “a gust of wind”. Apparently later repurposed during the later Edo period for its phonetic value in translating the Dutch fluor (“fluorine”).

(chemistry, chemical elements) fluorine, fluoride

六弗化リン酸リチウム: lithium hexafluorophosphate

ろくふっかりんさんりちうむ


弓

Bow (music)
Bow and arrow
Man'yōshū
Yumi
ja:弓 (楽器)
ja:弓 (武器)

table
From Old Japanese. Appears in the Man'yōshū (c. 759 CE). A surface analysis suggests a combination of Old Japanese yu (see above) + suffixing element mi, itself of uncertain derivation.

梓弓

a bow made from the wood of the Japanese cherry birch (Betula grossa

破魔弓

a traditional Shintō ceremonial bow for dispel evil

鏃 (yajiri): arrowhead; 簳 (yagara): arrow-shaft; 羽 (hane): arrow-fletching

仗, 杖: yumi stave; 弦: yumi bowstring; 矢: an arrow; 靫): an quiver; 胸当て: kyudo plastron/chestguard; 弽: kyudo glove; 弩

a bow:
(weaponry) a bow for shooting arrows

(music) a bow for playing a stringed instrument such as a violin or cello

(Shinto) a type of kagura (sacred Shinto song and dance) intended to drive away evil


感

(grammar) Clipping of 感動詞 (kandōshi, “interjection”).


夫

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Kojiki of 712.
Cognate with 端 (tsuma, “edge, side of something”), from the sense of "person by one's side".
Generally spelled 夫 in reference to a husband and 妻 in reference to a wife.


性

From Middle Chinese 性 (MC sjengH, “nature of something, inherent quality”).
The kan'on, so a later borrowing.


形

形 (canonical)
形 (canonical)
gata (romanization)
gada (romanization)

table
Derived from kata above. The kata changes to gata as an instance of rendaku (連濁). Found most commonly as a suffixing element in compounds.
The standalone noun sense was originally a shortening of 女形 (onnagata, literally “woman form”), a female role played by a male actor in kabuki theater. This noun sense is only spelled with the 形 kanji.

(kabuki, theater) Short for 女形 (onnagata)., a female role played by a male actor in kabuki theater


形

table
From Middle Chinese 形 (MC heng). Compare modern Mandarin 形 (xíng). The 漢音 (kan'on) reading, so likely a later borrowing.

過去形

将来形

連用形

命令形

(Japanese grammar) a conjugation form of a verb


扇

扇 (canonical)
ōgi (romanization)
afugi (romanization)
あふぎ (hiragana historical)

Daijisen#Online_search_engines
Hand fan
Kyūjitai
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Shinjitai
Tōkyō
ja:扇

/afuɡi/ → */awuɡi/ → /auɡi/ → /ɔːɡi/ → /oːɡi/
Originally the continuative or noun stem form of verb 扇ぐ (aogu, “to fan, to wave something to create a breeze”). The change in vowels represents a regular historical sound shift. Ultimately from Proto-Japonic *aponki.
First cited to the late 900s.


斌

森田斌
Morita Sakan
Sakan Morita


掌

From 手(て) (te, “hand”) + の (no, “-'s”) + 平(ひら) (hira, “flat”). Compare English flat of one's hand.


掌

From 手(た) (ta-, “hand”) + な (na, “-'s”, archaic) + 裏(うら) (ura, “hidden side”).


掌

From 手(た) (ta-, “hand”) + な (na, “-'s”, archaic) + 心(こころ) (kokoro, “heart; inside”, rendaku form 心(ごころ) (gokoro)).


掌

掌 (canonical)
-shō (romanization)
syau (romanization)
しやう (hiragana historical)

条拳法 八卦六十四掌
Jūkenpō Hakke Rokujūyonshō
Jūkenpō: Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms

これがこの赤を師兵の頂点たらしめる炎だッ!!!我龍双煉掌
Kore ga kono Seki o Sūpei no chōten tarashimeru honō da'!!! Garyū Sōrenshō

2003 September 22, Akinobu Uraku, “第60話 少女の決意 [Chapter 60: A Girl’s Resolve]”, in 東京アンダーグラウンド [Tokyo Underground], volume 11 (fiction), Square Enix, pages 30–31

This is the flame that helped put me, Seki, at the top of the Supei!!! Garyū Sōrenshō

(martial arts) used in the names of moves that involve hitting and pushing hard with the palm


指

指 (canonical)
yubi (romanization)
本 (counter)
および (alternative hiragana)
oyobi (Rōmaji alternative hiragana)

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *oyonpE.


後

Originally an extension of 跡(あと) (ato, “footprint; leftover”), itself a compound of 足(あ) (a, “foot”) + 所(と) (to, “place”).

後で連絡します。

会議の後

(temporally) later time, afterwards, some time after the present


後

From Old Japanese. Ultimate derivation unknown.

晴れのち雨

later, afterwards, some time after the present


後

From Old Japanese. Ultimate derivation unknown. May be cognate with より (yori, “from; after”).

(obsolete) later, afterwards, some time after the present


後

From Middle Chinese 後 (huwX, huwH, “after”). Classified as the tōon or "Tang sound", so likely borrowed from Chinese topolects spoken during the Song dynasty and after.

彼は卒業後に結婚します。

He is going to get married after the graduation.

彼は卒業後は大阪の会社に勤めます。

He is going to work for a company in Osaka after the graduation.

Kare wa sotsugyōgo wa Ōsaka no kaisha ni tsutomemasu.

卒業後、彼は小学校の先生になった。

After the graduation, he became a teacher at an elementary school.

Sotsugyōgo, kare wa shōgakkō no sensei ni natta.


撮

From Middle Chinese 撮 (MC tshwat, “to grab with three fingers”).

ltc-l

A unit of volume, equal to one-tenth of a 勺(しゃく) (shaku), or equivalently around 1.8039 millilitres.


拳

From Middle Chinese 拳 (MC gjwen).
The standalone noun senses are first cited to texts from the 1500s.

蟷螂拳

太極拳
taikyokuken
tai chi

波動拳

やつの目的はおそらく、山千拳と対をなす海千拳の秘伝書。
Yatsu no mokuteki wa osoraku, Yamasenken to tsui o nasu Umisenken no hidensho.
He must be looking for the scroll for Umisenken, the antithesis of Yamasenken.
海千拳？
Umisenken?

1999 February 20 [1994 April 15], Rumiko Takahashi, “ＰＡＲＴ.２ [海](うみ)[千](せん)[拳](けん)と[山](やま)[千](せん)[拳](けん) ([海](うみ)[千](せん)[拳](けん)と[山](やま)[千](せん)[拳](けん)) [PART.2 Umisenken and Yamasenken]”, in らんま½ (らんま½) [Ranma ½], 10th edition, volume 28 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan

今度はこっちの番だソウビ‼
Kondo wa kotchi no ban da Sōbi‼
It’s my turn now, Sōbi‼
む
Mu
Mm?
通‥‥背‥‥拳‼‼
Tsū‥‥hai‥‥ken‼‼
Tong‥‥bei‥‥quan‼‼
通背拳⁉吊り橋でみせたあの技で 水を‥‥‼
Tsūhaiken⁉ Tsurihashi de miseta ano waza de Mizu o‥‥‼

2000 December 20 [1999 May 17], Maekawa, Takeshi, “水面の戦いの巻 [Water Struggle]”, in 新鉄拳チンミ (新鉄拳チンミ) [New Ironfist Chinmi], 2nd edition, volume 6 (fiction), Tokyo: Kodansha, pages 158–161

Tongbeiquan⁉ I saw him use this move at the suspension bridge, but now on water‥‥⁉

ペガサス流星拳‼

2001 January 23, Masami Kurumada, “女神の聖闘士の巻 [Athena’s Saints]”, in Saint星矢 (Saint星矢) [Saint Seiya], volume 1 (fiction), Tokyo: Shueisha, page 60

直撃！ブラボー拳‼

2004 September 8, Nobuhiro Watsuki, “第36話 カーニバル［祭］ [Chapter 36: Carnival]”, in 武装錬金 (武装錬金) [Armed Alchemy], volume 4, Tokyo: Shueisha

(martial arts) used in the names of styles, or moves that involve punching


晋

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


晋

Nominalization of the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 進む (susumu, “to proceed”).


晋

Nominalization of 進む (susumu, “to proceed”).


昭

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


女

女 (canonical)
onna (romanization)
wonna (romanization)
をんな (hiragana historical)

女の足駄にて造れる笛には秋の鹿寄る

onna no ashida ni te tsukureru fue ni wa aki no shika yoru

女の髪の毛には大象も繫がる

onna no kami no ke ni wa taizō mo tsunagaru

table
⟨womi₁na⟩ → */womʲina/ → /womʉna/ → /wonːa/ → /onːa/
Shift from Old Japanese womina → omina. See the 女 (omina) entry for further details.
Now one of the standard Japanese words for "a woman".

人の女に手を出すな！

Don't you fuckin' dare touch someone else's girl!


女

女 (canonical)
Omina (romanization)
womina (romanization)
をみな (hiragana historical)

table
⟨womi₁na⟩ → */womʲina/ → /omina/
From Old Japanese.
The initial /wo/ expressed "small, youth" and contrasted with /o/ "grown, old" (as in 嫗 (omina, “old woman”)), while the medial /mi/ is cognate with 女 (me, “female, woman”, see below). According to Frellesvig (2010), proto-Japonic /e/ became Old Japanese [je] in final position and [i] elsewhere; analogous with PJ /o/, which became OJ [wo] in final position and [u] elsewhere (though PJ /i/ and /u/ also existed, compare Old Japanese 火's two readings /po/ & /pu/ in Western & Eastern Old Japanese, respectively (Vovin, 2017)).


女

⟨me₁⟩ → */mʲe/ → /me/
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *mia.
Appears to be distinct from 目 (⟨me₂⟩ → me, “eye”).

女木

female tree; lower or receiving piece of wood in a join

女君: polite term for another person's wife

女滝

in a waterfall with two cataract, the smaller of the two

郎女: an ancient term of endearment for referring to a woman


女

女 (canonical)
jo (romanization)
dyo (romanization)
ぢよ (hiragana historical)

/dɨo/ → /d͡ʑo/
From Middle Chinese 女 (MC nrjoX|nrjoH).

a woman, especially an actress or a prostitute


女

女 (canonical)
Jo (romanization)
dyo (romanization)
ぢよ (hiragana historical)

(Chinese astronomy) the Girl constellation, one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions


女

女 (canonical)
-jo (romanization)
dyo (romanization)
ぢよ (hiragana historical)

(historical) suffixed to names of female figures in the Edo period


昴

[sɨᵝba̠ɾɯ̟ᵝ]

Likely from Old Japanese, use of kanji in Japanese texts first appears in the Tango-no-kuni Fudoki (c. mid-8th century), phonetic spelling first attested in the Wamyō Ruijushō (938 CE).
By extension from 統ばる (subaru, “to bunch together; to unite”, intransitive), due to the way the stars in the constellation all cluster together. Compare 統べる (suberu, “to command”, transitive).

(astronomy) the Pleiades star cluster, one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions


昴

Likely from Old Japanese.
Possibly an allusion from 昴の玉 (sumaru no tama, literally “cluster of pearls”) referenced multiple times in the Kojiki (712 CE); probably the original form of Subaru above. Compare the development of 皇 (sume-/sumera- → sube-/subera-, prefix of praise and respect to Shinto deities or an Emperor of Japan)

(astronomy, regional) the Pleiades star cluster, one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions


昴

昴 (canonical)
Bō (romanization)
bau (romanization)
ばう (hiragana historical)

/bau/ → /bɔː/ → /boː/
From Middle Chinese 昴 (MC maewX).

(Chinese astronomy) the Hairy Head constellation, one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions, corresponding to the Pleiades star cluster in English


昴

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


昴

[no̞bo̞ɾɯ̟ᵝ]

Nominalization of verb 上る, 登る (noboru, “to ascend, rise”).


旗

→ Sakizaya: hata

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *patahttps://migrationperiod.wordpress.com/2017/04/18/old-japanese-dictionary/.

プエルトリコの旗


旗

banner (type of administrative division in Inner Mongolia, China)


斧

ja-noun

斧(おの) or 斧(オノ) • (ono) ^(←をの (wono) or ヲノ (wono)?)

斧 (canonical)
斧 (canonical)
ono (romanization)
wono (romanization)
をの (hiragana historical)
ヲノ (hiragana historical)

Jōdai Tokushu Kanazukai
Man'yōshū
Nihon Ryōiki
ja:斧

From Old Japanese. Logographically attested in the Man'yōshū as 斧, and phonetically attested in the Nihon Ryōiki with the man'yōgana spelling 乎乃. In turn, from Proto-Japonic *wənə.

Vono. ヲノ (斧) または、 Masacari. (鉞) 斧.
Vono. ヲノ (斧) または、 Masacari. (鉞) 斧.
Wono. Also masakari. A hatchet.

オノを持つ戦士。片手でオノを振り回す攻撃はかなり強い。

2008 March 15, “アックス・レイダー [Axe Raider]”, in STARTER DECK, Konami

An axe-wielding warrior. He swings his axe with only one arm, yet he can deal quite some heavy blows.

Ono o motsu senshi. Katate de ono o furimawasu kōgeki wa kanari tsuyoi.


斧

Toyama, Nagano, Gifu, Shizuoka, Aichi (Nagoya), Tottori, Shimane (Izumo), Okayama (Takamatsu)

Jōdai Tokushu Kanazukai
Shinsen Jikyō
Tokyo
ja:明治書院

Attested in the Shinsen Jikyō of circa 898-901 CE, with the man'yōgana spelling 与支. Presumably from Proto-Japonic, but the first attestation in Japanese is too late to precisely reconstruct the vowels. Cognate with Proto-Ryukyuan *yoki.
Despite widespread regional attestations, the lack of pitch accent information in standard Japanese could imply that this word is not used in modern standard Japanese.

(obsolete or dialectal, regional) a hatchet

(dialectal, regional, Ibaraki, Nagoya, Hyōgo, Shikoku, Kyūshū) a small hatchet

(dialectal, regional, Yamanashi) a big hatchet

(dialectal, regional, southern Tohoku, Kantō, Hachijō, Chūbu, Kansai, Shikoku, Kyūshū) an axe, a hatchet (in general)

a hatchet
an axe, a hatchet (in general)


斎

(Buddhism) meals exchanged between priests and parishioners


斎

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

破夜歩佐波阿梅珥能朋利等弭箇既梨伊莵岐餓宇倍能娑奘岐等羅佐泥 [Man'yōgana]
隼は天にのぼり飛びかけりいつきが上の鷦鷯とらさね [Modern spelling]

hayabusa wa ame ni nobori tobikakeri itsuki ga ue no sazaki torasane

阿梅珥能朋利 あめにのぼり

娑奘岐等羅佐泥 さざきとらさね

(Shinto) Short for 斎皇女 (itsuki no miko):

Short for 斎皇女 (itsuki no miko):
Short for 斎皇女 (itsuki no miko)


斎

From Old Japanese. Possibly a doublet of 斎 (yu) below.

(Shinto) added to spiritual nouns to indicate purity and holiness: holy, pure, sacred


斎

From Old Japanese. Possibly a doublet of 斎 (i) above.


斎

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


昔

From Old Japanese. The muka portion derives from the 未然形 (mizenkei, “incomplete form”) of verb 向く (muku, “to face opposite to something”), implying “that which stands opposite from the present”. The shi portion is suffix し (shi) indicating direction, also found in words 縦し (tatashi, “the standing or vertical direction”), 横し (yokoshi, “the sideways or horizontal direction”). This appears to be a somewhat rare alternative form, more commonly encountered as さ (sa), and may be cognate with the nominalizing adjective ending さ (sa).

昔と今

昔の自分

昔からの友達

a longtime friend (literally, “a friend since old times”)

昔に戻る

むかし、式部大輔、左大弁かけて清原の王ありけり。


栞

From the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of 枝(し)折(お)る (shioru): 枝(し) (shi, “branch”) + 折(お)る (oru, “to fold”).


昼

⟨pi₁ru⟩ → */pʲiru/ → /ɸiru/ → /hiru/
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *piru (“daytime”).
Derived from 日 (hi, “day”), suffixed with an element ru of unclear meaning. Compare 夜 (yoru, “night, evening”), which seems to use this same ru element.


昼

昼 (canonical)
chū (romanization)
tiu (romanization)
ちう (hiragana historical)

/tiu/ → /t͡ɕiu/ → /t͡ɕuː/
From Middle Chinese 晝 (MC trjuwH)


暖

ja-pos

暖(あたた) or 暖(いふ) or 暖(うらら) or 暖(だん) or 暖(のどか) or 暖(のん) or 暖(はる) or 暖(はるか) or 暖(はるな) or 暖(ひなた) • (Atata or Ifu or Urara or Dan or Nodoka or Non or Haru or Haruka or Haruna or Hinata)

暖 (canonical)
暖 (canonical)
暖 (canonical)
暖 (canonical)
暖 (canonical)
暖 (canonical)
暖 (canonical)
暖 (canonical)
暖 (canonical)
Atata (romanization)
Ifu (romanization)
Urara (romanization)
Dan (romanization)
Nodoka (romanization)
Non (romanization)
Haru (romanization)
Haruka (romanization)
Haruna (romanization)
Hinata (romanization)
はるかはるな (hiragana)


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”).


平

From Middle Chinese 平 (MC bjaeng).
The 漢音 (kan'on, literally “Han sound”) reading, so likely a later borrowing from Middle Chinese.


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 広し (hiroshi), modern 広い (hiroi, “vast, wide”).


平

Nominalization of classical adjective 安し (yasushi), modern 安い (yasui, “peaceful, quiet”).


栄

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


栄

Invented for Japanese mahjong by Rin Mokō 林茂光 from such a call from some regions of China, after he found that the usual call in Mandarin 和 (hú) was problematic for Japanese speakers. He adopted the character 栄 as ateji, but later discovered that the original character for this sound was 攏 (lǒng). Nevertheless, the character 栄 remained and was accepted as standard.

(mahjong) Short for 栄和 (ronhō): a win by picking up an opponent's discarded tile


敦

敦 (canonical)
敦 (canonical)
Atsushi (romanization)
Tsutomu (romanization)

From Middle Chinese 敦 (MC twoj|twon|dwan|twonH).


天

From Middle Chinese 天 (MC then, “sky; heavens”). Compare modern Mandarin reading tiān.

天狗: long-nosed youkai of Japanese mythology

天変地異

an extraordinary natural phenomenon or occurrence

天道

the world of heavenly gods; the world of devas

天部

大黒天
Daikokuten
Mahakala
(literally, “the Great Black Deva”)

弁才天
Benzaiten
Saraswati
(literally, “the Eloquent Devi”)


政

政 (canonical)
matsurigoto (romanization)

政を為すは猶沐するが如し

matsurigoto o nasu wa nao moku suru ga gotoshi

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).

太政官

太政 おおいまつりごとの

(especially in Shinto) a festival, ritual


政

From Middle Chinese 政 (MC tsyengH).
The 漢音 (kan'on, literally “Han sound”) reading, so likely a later borrowing from Middle Chinese.


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.


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

ja-pos

柊(しゅう) • (Shū)

/t͡ɕɨu/ → /ɕʲuː/ → /ɕuː/
From Middle Chinese 柊 (MC tsyuwng).


教

From either the classical 終止形 (shūshikei, “terminal form”) satoshi of modern adjective 聡い (satoi, “clever, sharp-witted”), or the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) satoshi of cognate verb 諭す (satosu, “to admonish, persuade, remonstrate → to redirect into a smarter direction”).


柳

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

(Chinese astronomy) the Willow as one of the twenty-eight mansions


族

(chemistry) a group (column in the periodic table)


楣

[ma̠ɡɯ̟ᵝsa̠]

From Old Japanese. First cited to a text from 762.
Compound of 目 (ma, combining form of me, “eye; opening”) + 種 (kusa, “material, piece”, also spelled 草 in various compounds). The kusa changes to gusa as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

compound

also spelled <i class="Jpan mention" lang="ja">草</i> in various compounds

鴨居

a lintel with grooves for a [[sliding window]] or [[sliding door|door]]

無目

a lintel lacking [[groove]]s for a [[sliding window]] or [[sliding door|door]]

(architecture, construction, carpentry) a lintel


樋

(architecture) gutter, a trough at the base of a roof used to convey rainwater


榊

榊 (canonical)
榊 (canonical)
sakaki (romanization)

Extended shinjitai
Kyūjitai
Shinjitai
The Tale of Genji

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

賢木

Sakaki, tenth chapter of The Tale of Genji

a tree of species Cleyera japonica, considered sacred in Shinto

any evergreen tree planted within precincts of a Shinto shrine


梓

ja-noun

梓(あずさ) or 梓(アズサ) • (azusa) ^(←あづさ (adusa) or アヅサ (adusa)?)

梓 (canonical)
梓 (canonical)
azusa (romanization)
adusa (romanization)
あづさ (hiragana historical)
アヅサ (hiragana historical)

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

(theater) in noh, the swift, drummed accompaniment to the entrance recitative of a medium


梓

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


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).


梢

梢 (canonical)
Shō (romanization)
seu (romanization)
せう (hiragana historical)

/seu/ → /ɕeu/ → /ɕoː/
From Middle Chinese 梢 (MC sraew).


李

李 (canonical)
李 (canonical)
Ri (romanization)
李 (canonical)
李 (canonical)
Rī (romanization)
李 (canonical)
李 (canonical)
I (romanization)

Japanese reading of the South Korean surname


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”).


暁

暁 (canonical)
Gyō (romanization)
geu (romanization)
げう (hiragana historical)

/ɡeu/ → */ɡʲəː/ → /ɡʲoː/
From Middle Chinese 曉 (MC xewX).


暁

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


暁

Nominalization of classical adjective 聡し (satoshi), modern 聡い (satoi, “clever, smart, sharp”).


暁

Nominalization of verb 悟る (satoru, “to perceive, understand”).


暁

暁 (canonical)
Tōru (romanization)
toforu (romanization)
とほる (hiragana historical)

Nominalization of verb 通る (tōru, “to be wise”).


暁

暁 (canonical)
Akana (romanization)
暁 (canonical)
Aki (romanization)
暁 (canonical)
Kyō (romanization)
keu (romanization)
けう (hiragana historical)


桐

桐 (canonical)
桐 (canonical)
kiri (romanization)

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).

(card games) the paulownia suit in a hanafuda deck, representing the month of December

from the wood of the paulownia used as the soundboard

from the markings of paulownia crests on the coins

(colloquial) money, especially gold coins such as the 大判 (ōban) and the 小判 (koban)


桁

木造建築物の場合は地盤面から敷桁上端（柱の上部を連結しているけたの上端）まで […] の高さが軒の高さになります。
Mokuzō kenchikubutsu no baai wa jibanmen kara shikigeta jōtan (hashira no jōbu o renketsu shite iru keta no jōtan) made […] no takasa ga noki no takasa ni narimasu.

2019, Mori Kōnin, Morimoto Minori, Sugu ni yakudatsu saishin Kenchiku Kijunhō to shidō kyōkai nisshōken no hōritsu to toraburu kaiketsuhō [Useful guide to the latest Building Standards Act and laws on private driveways, property boundaries, and zoning, with trouble shooting], page 72

In the case of wooden buildings, the height from the ground surface to the top of the top plate (the top of the crossbeam connecting the tops of the pillars) defines the height of the eaves.

桁溢れ

十桁の番号

二十進法では八千で四桁に達する。

In base twenty, one reaches four digits at eight thousand.

Nijisshinhō de wa hassen de yon keta ni tassuru.

16進数は、16で桁上がりする数え方です。16進数では、15までを1桁で表さなければならないので、A～Fを数字として使って、0、1、2、3、4、5、6、7、8、9、A、B、C、D、E、F、10、……と数えます。
Jūroku shinsū wa, jūroku de keta agari suru kazoekata desu. Jūroku shinsū de wa, jūgo made o ichi keta de arawasanakereba naranai no de, ē~efu o sūji to shite tsukatte, zero, ichi, ni, san, yon, go, roku, nana, hachi, kyū, ē, bī, shī, dī, ī, efu, ichi-zero,…… to kazoemasu.

2015, Yazawa Hisao, Deru toko dake! kihon jōhō gijutsusha [Just what you need: basics of information technology], page 27

Hexadecimal is a system of counting based on 16 digits. In hexadecimal, since we need to represent values up to 15 with one digit we use A to F as numerals, and count 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, F, 10... and so on.

(arithmetic) digit (a numeral used in a positional numeral system)


棒

棒 (canonical)
bō (romanization)
bau (romanization)
ばう (hiragana historical)

From Middle Chinese 棒 (MC baewngX). The goon pronunciation, so likely an earlier borrowing.

(Buddhism) staff used by practitioners of Zen Buddhism


橇

橇 (canonical)
sori (romanization)
橇 (canonical)
kanjiki (romanization)


枝

枝 (canonical)
eda (romanization)
えだ (hiragana historical)

Inherited from earlier yeda, from Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *yonta. Cognate with Kunigami 枝 (yudā), Miyako 枝 (yuda), Okinawan 枝 (yida), 枝 (yuda), Yaeyama 枝 (yuda), Yonaguni 枝 (duda). The vowel change is irregular.


板

(Internet) board (sub-unit of a larger BBS or imageboard)


株

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *kampu. Cognate with Kunigami 株 (khabū), Northern Amami-Oshima 株 (gabu), Okinawan 株 (kabu).

デルタ株
deruta-kabu
delta variant (COVID-19)


末

末 (canonical)
sue (romanization)
suwe (romanization)
すゑ (hiragana historical)

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Kojiki of 712.

(kagura, music) in a 神楽 (kagura) performance, the seats on the right side facing the altar or shrine; the performers playing in these seats


末

From Middle Chinese 末 (MC mat).
First attested in Japanese in 1120.

端役

extra or minor part in any theatrical tradition

(theater) in traditional Chinese theater, an extra, a minor part


椿

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


桶

桶 (canonical)
oke (romanization)
をけ (hiragana historical)

From Old Japanese. First cited in the Man'yōshū of 759.
Originally a compound of 麻 (o, “flax, ramie”) + 笥 (ke, “a container, especially for foodstuffs or tableware”).

桶狭間焼き

a style of pottery originating near Okehazama

桶絞り

a cloth dying process whereby the sections to leave undyed are put into oke and closed in with lids

桶取り: a scene in a kyōgen farce presented between Noh plays

桶尻

the aft edge of the hull of a ship in traditional Japanese shipbuilding

a bowl-shaped container for holding trawling lines on a fishing boat

桶側胴

a type of breastplate made of steel strips bound together, somewhat similar to how okegawa are bound together to make an oke

桶大工

a cooper, a woodworker who specializes in making barrel, oke, and well walls

桶風呂: an oke fitted with a firebox for heating bathwater: a traditional Japanese wooden ofuro hottub

桶伏せ: wearing an oke on one's head: a mob punishment in the pleasure districts of early Edo-period Japan

where non-paying customers would be forced to wear an oke on their heads

桶が腐れば菜が腐る: "if the bucket rots

おけがくさればながくさる

the greens rot" → if the surrounding is bad

(Noh theater) a stool on stage, on which an actor sits


槓

(mahjong) Short for 槓子 (kantsu): a set of four identical tiles

(mahjong) a call for such a set (compare English kong):

for a 明槓 (minkan, “open kan”), the player calling should have a 暗刻 (ankō, “closed triplet”) in hand and the current discarded tile is the fourth tile

for a 加槓 (kakan, “added kan”), the player should have an 明刻 (minkō, “open triplet”) beforehand and the fourth tile must be self-drawn

for an 暗槓 (ankan, “closed kan”), the player calling must simply have all four tiles in hand


柿

柿 (canonical)
柿 (canonical)
kaki (romanization)

→ Arabic: كاكي (kaki, “persimmon”)

→ English: kaki (“persimmon”)

→ Indonesian: kaki (“persimmon”)

→ Italian: cachi (“persimmon”)

→ Portuguese: caqui (“persimmon”)

Early Modern Japanese
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten

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.

a 布子 (nunoko, “cotton-paded clothing”) dyed in kakiiro


殯

(Shinto) A funerary practice of enshrining the deceased in a casket at a special location during a period of mourning before a formal burial, specifically for royalty or nobility


棗

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


樺

樺 (canonical)
樺 (canonical)
kaba (romanization)

Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Wamyō Ruijushō
ja:カバノキ属

A shift from kaniwa below.
First appears in the Wamyō Ruijushō of 934 CE.

Short for 樺色 (kabairo, “reddish yellow”).


樺

樺 (canonical)
樺 (canonical)
kanba (romanization)


樺

樺 (canonical)
kaniwa (romanization)
kanifa (romanization)
かには (hiragana historical)

John Batchelor (missionary)
Kōjien
Man'yōshū
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Sakhalin Ainu language
Shinmura Izuru
Wamyō Ruijushō

⟨kanipa⟩ → /kaniɸa/ → /kaniwa/
From Old Japanese 樺 (kanipa, “sakura, sakura bark”), from Ainu カリンパ (karinpa, “sakura, sakura bark”).
Found in the Man'yōshū (book 6), completed some time after 759 CE, in sense 1. Sense 2 appears in the Wamyō Ruijushō of 934 CE.
Compare Sakhalin Ainu カリムバニ (karimba-ni, “cherry tree; Prunus pseudocerasus”) and カリムバタツ (karimba-tat, “Betula Maximowicziana”).

der

(obsolete) monarch birch (Betula maximowicziana) or its bark


家

家 (canonical)
ie (romanization)
ife (romanization)
いへ (hiragana historical)

⟨ipe₁⟩ → /ipʲe/ → /iɸe/ → /iwe/ → /ie/
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *ipia. Possibly cognate with Old Korean 邑勒 (iprʌk, “house”).
Possibly related to 廬 (iho → io, “temporary hut”).

ここが僕の家 そして今日から君が暮らす家でもある

Kore Yamazaki, “第1篇 April showers bring May flowers. [Composition 1: April showers bring May flowers.]”, in [魔法使いの嫁](The Ancient Magus Bride) [The Ancient Magus’ Bride], volume 1 (fiction), Tokyo: Mag Garden, page 17

This is my home. From now on, you will live here, too.

Koko ga boku no ie Soshite kyō kara kimi ga kurasu ie de mo aru


家

→ English: hooch

Cognate with 内 (uchi, “middle”), from Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *utui.


家

Contraction of uchi above.
Often following the genitive case marker の (no) which contracts to -n.

俺ん家に来ない？


松

松 (canonical)
matsu (romanization)
matu (romanization)
まつ (hiragana historical)

Jōdai Tokushu Kanazukai
Kojiki
Kyūjitai
Man'yōshū
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.

(card games) a suit in 花札 (hanafuda), representing the month of January


槌

Extended shinjitai
Kyūjitai
Nihon Shoki
Shinjitai
ja:槌

From Old Japanese. Appears in the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE.

a 家紋 (kamon, “family crest”) featuring a traditional Japanese hammer design


桃

Heian period
Nara period
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Nihon Shoki
Yayoi period

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *momo. Mentioned in the Nihon Shoki of 720.
Brought to Japan in antiquity, with pits found in prehistoric sites from the Yayoi period, 300 BCE - 300 CE. Mentioned as a food in documents from the Nara and Heian periods.
Ultimate derivation unknown. Theories include the following.
* Possibly derived originally from a reduplication of 実 (Old Japanese mu, modern Japanese mi, “fruit”), from the way that peaches often grow in clusters. However, the vowel shift seems unlikely given regular Japanese phonetic shifts. In addition, most reduplicated terms in Japanese have the 頭高型 (atamadaka-gata) pitch accent pattern, starting high and falling, which differs from the 平板型 (heiban-gata) pitch accent pattern of this term.
* Possibly cognate with Old Japanese 百 (momo, “hundred; lots”). However, this also has the 頭高型 (atamadaka-gata) pitch accent pattern.
* Possibly a reduplication of 毛 (mo, “hair”), from the way that peaches are hairy. The term is spelled as 毛毛 in some ancient documents. However, 毛 was commonly used as man'yōgana for its phonetic value, in which cases its original Chinese meaning of hair is usually ignored.
None of the above possibilities seems very compelling. Given the archaeological evidence, this term probably originated before the Japanese ancestor population migrated to the Japanese archipelago.
Possibly related to 梅 (ancient mume, modern ume, “Japanese apricot, Japanese plum”).


様

様 (canonical)
Yō (romanization)
yau (romanization)
やう (hiragana historical)

/jɨau/ → /jɔː/ → /joː/
From Middle Chinese 樣 (MC yangH).


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.


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).


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.


柚

Probably a borrowing from Mandarin 柚子 (yòuzi).


柚

柚 (canonical)
Yui (romanization)
柚 (canonical)
Yuzaki (romanization)
柚 (canonical)
Yuzusaki (romanization)
柚 (canonical)
Yuni (romanization)


果

果 (canonical)
ka (romanization)
kwa (romanization)
くわ (hiragana historical)

(Buddhism) phala, attained state, result

(Buddhism) enlightenment (as the fruits of one's Buddhist practice)


汚

汚 (canonical)
o (romanization)
wo (romanization)
を (hiragana historical)

From Middle Chinese 污 (ʔuoH).
The kan'on pronunciation, so likely a later borrowing.


毅

毅 (canonical)
Takeshi (romanization)
毅 (canonical)
Tsuyoshi (romanization)

犬養毅
Inukai Tsuyoshi
Inukai Tsuyoshi


歩

歩 (canonical)
Ayumi (romanization)
歩 (canonical)
Ayumu (romanization)


毬

毬 (canonical)
毬 (canonical)
iga (romanization)

秋になると、その自生樹に大きな栗の毬がなり始めたのです。

2005, Mihara Yoshiaki, Kyūjūsai yamamori no yuigon: mori no kenkō to hito no kenkō [Testament of a 90 year old forest ranger: Health of forests and health of people], page 11

In autumn, the large, native chestnuts have just begun to put out seed burrs.

Aki ni naru to, sono jisei ki ni ōkina kuri no iga ga nari hajimeta no desu.

(botany, forestry) burr (seed pod of a chestnut or similar tree)


柱

柱 (canonical)
-chū (romanization)
tyuu (romanization)
ちゆう (hiragana historical)


楓

/kaperu te/ → /kaperude/ → /kaferude/ → /kafede/ → /kaede/
From Old Japanese かへるて, as this word first appears in the Man'yōshū of 759 CE.
Originally a compound of 蛙 (kaeru, “frog”) + 手 (te, “hand”), with the te changing to de due to rendaku (連濁), and the ru dropping out over time. From the way the palmate leaves resemble a frog's foot.


楓

From Old Japanese. Less common spelling for 桂 (katsura).

桂: (Chinese mythology) the kind of tree that grows on the moon


明

明 (canonical)
myō (romanization)
myau (romanization)
みやう (hiragana historical)

/mʲau/ → /mʲɔː/ → /mʲoː/
From Middle Chinese 明 (MC mjaeng).
The 呉音 (goon, literally “Wu sound”) reading, so likely the earlier borrowing from Middle Chinese.
The Buddhist senses are a translation of Sanskrit विद्या (vidyā, “knowledge, wisdom”).

der

(Buddhism) passing of knowledge, scholarship, or study


明

(Buddhism) knowledge or wisdom that dispels the darkness of ignorance and brings to the realization of truth; enlightenment


明

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


根

table
From Middle Chinese 根 (MC kon). First cited in Japanese contexts in the 法華義疏 (Hokke Gisho) dated to 615, a commentary on the Buddhist Lotus Sutra that was written in Classical Chinese.

(Buddhism) the original motive force leading to perception of something by the five senses or by thought

(mathematics) a root, such as a square root (calque of English root)


梁

[ɯ̟ᵝt͡sɨᵝba̠ɾʲi]

Jōdai Tokushu Kanazukai
Shin'yaku Kegonkyō Ongi Shiki

From Old Japanese 梁 (utupari); attested phonetically in Old Japanese in the Shin'yaku Kegonkyō Ongi Shiki of 794, with the spelling 宇都波利.
Likely a compound of 内 (utsu-, “inside”, bound form) + 張り (hari, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of 張る (haru, “to stick; to spread”)), as suggested by various works.
Alternatively, the initial utsu- is connected to utsu-, spelled variously in addition to 内 (“inside”) as 全 (“all of which is contained in a group”), 空, 虚 (“an inner hollow or empty space; an inner void”), which are likely cognates.

com

(figuratively) the central figure or person, a pillar


梁

Jōdai Tokushu Kanazukai
Muromachi period

Attested in the Muromachi period.
The late attestation in Middle Japanese suggests that this might have been an abbreviation of 梁 (utsubari), also pronounced utsuhari in older texts.


梁

From Old Japanese 梁 (yana). Attested in the Nihon Shoki of 720.
There are various theories, such as a derivation from 屋魚 (ya na, “house of a fish”), やる魚 (yaru na, “a fish to be done”), an abbreviation of 梁簀 (yanasu), and a shift from 板庭 (itaniwa).


梁

ja-pos

梁(りょう) • (Ryō)


歯

/pa/ > /ɸa/ > /ha/.
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *pa. Cognate with Okinawan 歯 (hā).

歯が痛い。

１日に少なくとも ２度歯を磨くことが重要である。

It is important to brush your teeth at least twice a day.

Ichinichi ni sukunakutomo nido ha o migaku koto ga jūyō de aru.

(typography) a unit equal to 1 Q (kyū) and 0.25 mm, abbreviated as H; ha is used for spacing, while Q is used for font size


櫛

Daijisen
Extended shinjitai
Kyūjitai
Shinjitai
ja:松村明


橙

橙 (canonical)
橙 (canonical)
daidai (romanization)

Thought to be derived from 代代 (daidai, “many generations”), from the way bitter orange fruits never fall down, even in winter, until picked.

(by extension) Short for 橙色 (daidai-iro): the color orange


楽

Nominalization of the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of 好む (konomu, “to like, prefer”).


段

12の段

Meronym: 行 (gyō, “line”)

段数

段間

(typography) the equivalent to a column in Western layout, but that can be horizontal or vertical depending on the writing direction


段

(typography, newspapers) a unit in newspaper typesetting, equal to 1408 mils, ¹⁴⁰⁸⁄₁₀₀₀ in, 128 U (U) and 16 倍 (bai)


段

a unit of areal measure equivalent to 300 坪 (tsubo), now standardised at exactly 120000/121 square metres (around 991.7 m²)


氐

From Middle Chinese 氐 (MC tej), compare modern Mandarin 氐 (dī).
Used in Old Japanese as 借音 (shakuon) kana for ⟨te⟩.

(Chinese astronomy) Root, one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions


橋

/pasi/ → /ɸasi/ → /hasi/
From Old Japanese, originally indicating either the area between two things, or a connection between two things.
Cognate with 階 (hashi, “stairs from a garden up to the house”), both cognate with root hasa indicating the narrow area between two things, as in 狭間 (classical hasama, modern hazama, “narrow gap between two things”) or 挟む (hasamu, “to put between two things that are close together, to squeeze between two things”). Cognate also with root hoso indicating the narrowness of a thing itself, as in 細い (hosoi, “narrow, slender”), 細める (hosomeru, “to narrow something, to make something narrow”).

a bridge-like walkway or corridor between two buildings in a manor, palace, castle, or similar structure


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.


汞

ja-noun

汞(こう) • (kō)

From Middle Chinese 汞 (ɦuŋ^X, “mercury, quicksilver”).
The 漢音 (kan'on) reading, so likely a later borrowing.


樹

樹 (canonical)
樹 (canonical)
Itsuki (romanization)
Tatsuki (romanization)


渉

Nominalization of the verb 渉る (wataru, “to ford or otherwise cross a body of water”).


沼

From Old Japanese. Root of the Old Japanese verb ぬる (nuru, “to become loose; to become wet”) and modern Japanese 濡れる (nureru, “to become wet”), adverb ぬるぬる (nurunuru, “loosely; lukewarmly; oozingly”).
May be cognate with Korean 늪 (neup, “swamp, bog, marsh”), Ainu nup (“flat land, plain; fen”), Mongolian нам (nam, “low-lying”), намаг (namag, “swamp, bog, marsh”), норох (norox, “to become wet”).
Generally only used in compounds in modern Japanese.


沼

Appears to be a compound of 沼 (nu, “swamp”) + 間 (ma, “space, area”).

(slang) inescapable pit of addiction to games, etc.


沼

沼 (canonical)
shō (romanization)
seu (romanization)
せう (hiragana historical)

/seu/ → /ɕeu/ → /ɕʲoː/
From Middle Chinese 沼 (tsyew^X, “swamp”). Compare modern Mandarin 沼 (zhǎo).
Only ever used in compounds.


桜

桜 (canonical)
桜 (canonical)
sakura (romanization)

桜切る馬鹿梅切らぬ馬鹿

foolish to prune cherry trees but not to prune plum trees

[sa̠kɯ̟ᵝɾa̠]

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).

com

(card games) the suit of cherry blossoms in a hanafuda deck, representing the month of March

(theater, historical) during the Edo Period, a special box or balcony seat for a hired applauder, someone requested to cheer on the performers


桜

[sa̠kɯ̟ᵝɾa̠]


槍

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

(shogi) common name for the 香車 (kyōsha, “lance”)


温

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


格

格 (canonical)
Itaru (romanization)
格 (canonical)
Kaku (romanization)
格 (canonical)
Tōru (romanization)


淳

ja-pos

淳(あつし) or 淳(じゅん) or 淳(きよし) • (Atsushi or Jun or Kiyoshi)

淳 (canonical)
淳 (canonical)
淳 (canonical)
Atsushi (romanization)
Jun (romanization)
Kiyoshi (romanization)


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”).


極

pole (eg. North Pole); extremity, zenith


極

疲労困憊の極に達する

to reach the highest level of fatigue; to become extremely exhausted

疲労困憊 ひろうこんぱい


梅

梅 (canonical)
梅 (canonical)
ume (romanization)

English: ume

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).

(card games) the suit of plum blossoms in 花札 (hanafuda), representing the month of February


未

[çi̥t͡sɨᵝʑi]

the Sheep, the eighth of the twelve Earthly Branches


時

→ Yami: toki

Kojiki
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Old Japanese language

⟨to₂ki₁⟩ → */təkʲi/ → /toki/
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *təki. First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE.
There are various theories regarding the ultimate derivation.
* Possibly a fusion of 常 (toko-, prefix for “always, unchanging”) + い (i, Old Japanese nominal particle).
: However, the sense of “unchanging” does not fit well with the sense of “the passing of time”. Separately, the phonetics of Old Japanese ⟨ki₁⟩ → /kʲi/ appear to contraindicate a fusion of /ko/ + /i/, which resulted in ⟨ki₂⟩ → /kʷi/ as seen at 木.
* Possibly derived from or otherwise related to 疾し (toshi, “sharp; happening quickly”), cognate with 研ぐ (togu, “to sharpen”).
: However, the historical spelling of toshi was to₁(si), as in 那杼佐祁流斗米 (nado₁ sake₁ru to₁ me₂, "why do you have knife cutting eyes").
* Possibly related to 年 (toshi, “year”).

prefix

困った時は私に相談してください。

Please consult with me when troubled (in times of trouble).

Komatta toki wa watashi ni sōdan shite kudasai.

an event, case, occasion, moment; a specific period in time

時は冬

(literary) the time during which a narrative takes place

時の流れ

動くな‼じっとしてるんだ‼時間が来れば犯人は自分から名のり出る‼

1995 June 1 [1993 February 17], Yōzaburō Kanari with Satō, Fumiya, “オペラ座館殺人事件④ [The Opera House Murder Case ④]”, in 金田一少年の事件簿 (金田一少年の事件簿) [Young Kindaichi Case Files], 14th edition, volume 1 (fiction), Tokyo: Kodansha, page 186

Nobody move‼ Keep still‼ When the time comes, the culprit will show their true identity of their own accord‼

Ugoku na‼ Jitto shiteru n da‼ Toki ga kureba hannin wa jibun kara nanorideru‼


時

/ʑi/ → /ʑi//d͡ʑi/
From Middle Chinese 時 (MC dzyi).


涙

From Old Japanese. Ultimately from Proto-Japonic *namita.
Attested in the Nihon Shoki with the man'yōgana spelling 那瀰多 (namita). The Kojiki and Man'yōshū have 那美多 (namita), and the Man'yōshū also has later instances where the 多 (ta) was replaced with 太 (da), forming 奈美太 (namida), indicating a phonetic change over time from namita to namida.
Ultimate derivation unknown. There are interesting phonetic and semantic similarities with Thai น้ำตา (nám-dtaa, “tear”, literally “water + eye”), overlapping semantically with Korean 눈물 (nunmul, “tear”, literally “eye + water”), perhaps pointing to an ancient prehistoric borrowing. However, such similarities may also be purely accidental.


涙

涙 (canonical)
nanda (romanization)
namuda (romanization)
なむだ (hiragana historical)

/namida/ → /nanda/
Alteration of namida above.


涙

Alteration of namida or nanda above. Used during the Edo period in the rough informal speech used by the staff and servants of samurai households, and others of lower social rank.

(archaic, possibly obsolete) tear, teardrop


汗

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *asya.


汗

From Middle Chinese 汗 (MC han|kan|hanH).


山

山 (canonical)
山 (canonical)
yama (romanization)

山に躓かずして垤に躓く

yama ni tsumazukazu shite tetsu ni tsumazuku

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


武

武 (canonical)
Takeshi (romanization)
武 (canonical)
Takeru (romanization)


歌

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *ota.

氷と炎の歌


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”).


渚

渚 (canonical)
Migiwa (romanization)
migifa (romanization)
みぎは (hiragana historical)

[mʲiɡʲiɰᵝa̠]

Daijirin Daijisen Kyūjitai Shinjitai ja:松村明

⟨mi₁ ki₁pa⟩ → */mʲiɡʲipa/ → /miɡifa/ → /miɡiwa/
Compound of 水 (mi, “water”, combining form) + 際 (kiwa, “edge, boundary”). The kiwa changes to giwa as an instance of rendaku (連濁).


漁

漁 (canonical)
ryō (romanization)
refu (romanization)
れふ (hiragana historical)

From (confusion with) 猟(りょう) (ryō, “hunting”).


手

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *tay. Compare 目 (me, ma-, “eye”).

まだそんな手が残ってた——投了は早すぎた
Mada sonna te ga nokotteta—— Tōryō wa hayasugita

2002 March 9, Yumi Hotta with Obata, Takeshi, “第131局 試される伊角 [Game 131: Isumi’s Endeavor]”, in ヒカルの碁 [Hikaru’s Go], volume 16 (fiction), Tokyo: Shueisha, page 54

There’s still that move — I gave up too soon


手

(board games) counter for moves in shogi, go, etc.


溫

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


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)


涼

涼 (canonical)
Ryō (romanization)
ryau (romanization)
りやう (hiragana historical)

/rɨau/ → /rjau/ → /rjɔː/ → /rjoː/
From Middle Chinese 涼 (MC ljang|ljangH).


濠

(abbreviation) (geology) Australia (a continent consisting of the islands of Australia, New Guinea and intervening islands)


涎

Daijisen#Online_search_engines
Kōjien
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Nihon Shoki
Shinmura Izuru

table
From Old Japanese. First attested in the Nihon Shoki of 720.
Ultimately a compound of よ (yo, meaning uncertain) + 垂り (tari, “hanging down”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of intransitive 四段 (yodan, “quadrigrade”) conjugation verb 垂る (taru, “to hang down”)). The tari changes to dari as an instance of rendaku (連濁).
Superseded by the yodare reading, once the base verb 垂る (taru, “to hang down”) had shifted from the quadrigrade conjugation pattern to the lower bigrade pattern in the 15-1600s: see modern form 垂れる (tareru).

compound

(archaic) snot: nasal mucus hanging or oozing out from the nose

(archaic) drool, slobber: saliva hanging or oozing out from the mouth


涎

table
Shift from earlier yodari reading, due to the base verb 垂る (taru, “to hang down”) shifting from the quadrigrade conjugation pattern to the lower bigrade pattern in the 15-1600s: see modern form 垂れる (tareru).
First attested in a dictionary from 1548.


春

/paru/ → /ɸaru/ → /haru/
From Old Japanese.

a time of happiness after a long period of difficulty


澗

undecillion, a number of 10³⁶ in modern Japanese since 17th century.


業

業 (canonical)
gyō (romanization)
gefu (romanization)
げふ (hiragana historical)

業を創め、統を垂る

a man of virtue builds up his skills, and then passes them on to those who come after

/ɡepu/ → /ɡefu/ → /ɡeu/ → /ɡjoː/
From Middle Chinese 業 (MC ngjaep). The kan'on, so likely a later borrowing.

profession, business, trade: what one does to earn a living


業

業 (canonical)
gō (romanization)
gofu (romanization)
ごふ (hiragana historical)

業によりて果を引く

you reap what you sow, what goes around comes around

/ɡopu/ → /ɡofu/ → /ɡou/ → /ɡoː/
From Middle Chinese 業 (MC ngjaep). The goon, so likely an earlier borrowing. Translation from the Sanskrit term कर्मन् (kárman, “act, action, performance”).

業が煮える, 業が煎れる, 業が湧く

to be irritated, to be annoyed, to get angry

業の風

the powerful wind of sin that blow in hell

業の秤

a mythological scale that weighs the sins of the dead

業を曝す

to endure shame in this life as karma for sins committed in a previous life


業

ja-pos

業(ごう) • (Gō)


業

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


有

有 (canonical)
yū (romanization)
iu (romanization)
いう (hiragana historical)

From Middle Chinese 有 (MC hjuwX). The sense “and, with a remainder of” is from Middle Chinese 有 / 又 (MC hjuwH).
The kan'on pronunciation, so likely a later borrowing.


有

From Middle Chinese 有 (MC hjuwX).
The goon pronunciation, so likely the initial borrowing.


新

/sin/ → /ɕin/
From Middle Chinese 新 (MC sin).
Compare modern Mandarin 新 (xīn), Hakka 新 (sîn), Min Nan 新 (sin), and Wu 新 (¹shin).


新

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


機

From Middle Chinese 機／机 (kjɨj, “mechanism; opportunity, chance”). Compare modern Min Nan reading ki.

(Buddhism) the moment of being moved into action by the teachings of the Buddha: see 機根 (kikon)

short for 飛行機 (hikōki): an airplane, an aircraft


機

From onomatopoeic はた (hata), possibly for the sound of the shuttle running back and forth, or for the sound of a woven cloth moving in the wind, compare 旗 (hata, “a flag”). Compare Korean 베틀 (beteul).


河

河 (canonical)
河 (canonical)
hō (romanization)

From Chinese 河 (hé). The pronunciation is most similar to Cantonese /hɔː²¹/, although most Japanese mahjong terminology is taken from early 20th Century Mandarin.

(mahjong) river: a player's discard pile


次

/si/ → /ʑi/ → /d͡ʑi/
Sound shift from shi above.

亜塩素酸、次亜塩素酸、亜臭素酸、次亜臭素酸
aenso san, jiaenso san, ashūso san, jiashūso san
chlorous acid, hypochlorous acid, bromous acid, hypobromous acid

(chemistry) hypo- (used to distinguish the oxidation levels of various acids)


次

Nominalization of the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of Old Japanese-derived verb 次く (suku, “to follow, to continue from something, to be next;”).
The verb form was obsolete even in olden times. Existence of the verb, possibly related to tsugu mentioned above, is inferred from placenames found in the Man'yōshū and other ancient poetry.

(Shinto) at the 大嘗祭 (Daijōsai) and other major Shintō ceremonies, refers to the group of regional representatives making offerings of sake and grain, who do so after the initial offering


港

Daijisen#Online_search_engines
Kyūjitai
Kōjien
Minato, Tokyo
Nihon Shoki
Shinjitai
Shinmura Izuru
ja:港
ja:港区

From Old Japanese. Attested in the Nihon Shoki of 720. Reconstructed as deriving from Proto-Japonic *minato.
The traditional etymology that Japanese sources trace back to is a compound of 水 (mi-, “water”) + な (na, assimilated apophonic form of の (no, “genitive case marker”)) + 門 (to, “gate”).
* However, this does not correlate cleanly with the etymology of 水 (mizu, “water”), reconstructed as Proto-Japonic *mentu (“water”). Then again, there are numerous attested words where 水 (mi) is used as the first and last element in compounds, suggesting either that the derivation of 水 (mizu) might differ.
Vovin, on the other hand suggests that the initial mi- was 御 (mi-, “honorific prefix”), while -na- meant "water", possibly from Proto-Tai *C̬.namꟲ (“water”). Compare 涙 (namida, “tears”), 菜葱, 水葱 (nagi, “Monochoria vaginalis”), 漬く (nazuku, “soak in water”, obsolete).
* However, this may present semantic difficulties, as any native formation like namida that proposes "water" for the initial nam and "eye" for a following component reverses the usual word-formation pattern for Japanese, where the main or head noun comes last. In addition, the na element appears in other words with no relation to "water", as an assimilated apophonic form of genitive particle の (no), seen in terms such as 掌 (tanagokoro, “palm of the hand”, literally “hand's heart/center”), 眼間 (manakai, “where the lines of sight of the eyes converge”, literally “eyes' exchanging/crossing”).

com

assimilated apophonic form of <i class="Jpan mention" lang="ja">の</i> (no, “genitive case marker”)


方

an instrument similar to the Chinese fangxiang


澪

澪 (canonical)
Mio (romanization)
miwo (romanization)
みを (hiragana historical)

⟨mi₁ wo⟩ → */mʲiwo/ → /miwo/ → /mio/
From Old Japanese.
Derived as a compound of 水 (mi, ancient combining form of 水 (mizu), “water”) + 緒 (wo → o, “cord; something long and continuing”, likely cognate with 尾 (o, “tail”) from the sense of “something long and continuing from the end of the main body”).

ancient combining form of <i class="Jpan mention" lang="ja">水</i> (mizu), “water”

likely cognate with <i class="Jpan mention" lang="ja">尾</i> (o, “tail”) from the sense of “something long and continuing from the end of the main body”


灘

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *nanta.

玄界灘
Genkai Nada
Genkai Sea

area of a sea or an ocean with strong winds or surging waves; rough sea


本

rounds of a match in boxing, wrestling or judo


本

本 (canonical)
hon (romanization)
冊 (counter)


溝

ja-noun

溝(こう) • (kō)

排水溝

海溝


溝

ja-pos

溝(こう) • (kō)

[from 17th c.] a hundred nonillion, equivalent to 10³²


溝

ja-noun

溝(せせなぎ) • (sesenagi) ^(←せせなき (sesenaki)?)

溝 (canonical)
sesenagi (romanization)
sesenaki (romanization)
せせなき (hiragana historical)

channel with rainwater, sewage or other dirty water


溝

溝にはまる


毛

From Old Japanese. Attested in the Man'yōshū of circa 759 CE. Ultimately from Proto-Japonic *kay. Cognate with Proto-Ryukyuan *ke (“hair, fur”).


毛

毛(もう) • (mō)

one thousandth of a 寸 (sun) (approximately 0.0303 mm)

one thousandth of a 匁 (monme) (exactly 3.75 mg)

one thousandth of a 割 (wari) (0.01 percent)


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

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


獏

獏 (canonical)
獏 (canonical)
baku (romanization)


星

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

(astronomy) a star (luminous celestial body)

(geometry) a star (concave polygon with regular, pointy protrusions and indentations, especially used as a symbol to rate quality)

See also: 星人 (seijin)

この星を守ると決めた

(sumo) a round mark indicating a victory or defeat in a bout

an objective
(slang) the perp, the culprit


星

From Middle Chinese 星 (MC seng).
The Singapore sense derives from the pre-World War Two kanji spelling 星加坡 (modern kanji spelling 新加坡) as borrowed from Chinese, itself a transliteration of Malay Singapura.

(Chinese astronomy) one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions in the Chinese system of constellations


星

——あ、わたくしマキシムＡＧＦです。リプトン星からやってまいりました。地球の寒さにおどろいてます。どぞよろしく。
——A, watakushi Makishimu Ējīefu desu. Riputon-sei kara yatte mairimashita. Chikyū no samusa ni odoroitemasu. Dozo yoroshiku.

1996 February 20 [1988 February 15], Mitsuru Adachi, “なにがなんだか 前編 [What’s What: First Chapter]”, in SHORT PROGRAM [SHORT PROGRAM], 25th edition, volume 1 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, page 256

——Oh, my name is Maxim AGF. I came here from planet Lipton. I’m still taken aback by Earth’s coldness. It is a pleasure to meet all of you.

(loosely, especially fiction) attached to names of planets


星

星雲

星団

星図


狢

狢 (canonical)
狢 (canonical)
mujina (romanization)

Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Nihon Shoki
Wakan Sansai Zue

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE.

(mythology) a yōkai that shapeshifts and deceives humans


湯

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *yu.
First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE. Also used in the Man'yōshū, completed some time after 759 CE.

molten metal used in casting or founding


湯

湯(ぶう) • (bū)

Baby talk. Possibly onomatopoeic of a person blowing on a hot beverage.


波

⟨nami₁⟩ → /namʲi/ → /nami/
From Old Japanese 浪 (nami₁), from Proto-Japonic *nami.


木

⟨ki₂⟩ → */kɨ/ → /ki/
From Old Japanese 木 (ki₂), from Proto-Japonic *kəy. Cognate with Proto-Ryukyuan *ke. For the vowel alternation, see Wiktionary:About Proto-Japonic § Standalone forms and combining forms.
First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE.

猿も木から落ちる

even monkeys fall from trees → nobody's perfect

(graph theory, computer science) a tree (data structure)

(theater, sumo, etc.) a clapper used to signal the opening or closing of a match or play


潮

潮 (canonical)
Shio (romanization)
sifo (romanization)
しほ (hiragana historical)
潮 (canonical)
Shiho (romanization)

/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).


子

子 (canonical)
ko (romanization)
人 (counter)

⟨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.

お子さん: child

when addressing or referring to someone else's

合いの子

child of racial different parent; hybrid organism; something with the qualities of two other things, combination

芋の子

a smaller tuber branching from another potato

(hanafuda, card games, by extension, board games, gambling) person who is dealt cards


清

From Old Japanese, first attested in the Kojiki (712 CE).
Stem of 清か (sayaka, “bright, clear”).
Cognate with 冴える (saeru).


清

Nominalization of 清か (sayaka, “bright, clear”).


清

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


灯

The 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 明かす (akasu, “to go through the whole night”).

(Shinto, Buddhism) a light (or lighted lamp) offered to a kami or buddha


法

法 (canonical)
hō (romanization)
fafu (romanization)
はふ (hiragana historical)

From Middle Chinese 法 (MC pjop). Originally, the kan'on was はふ (fafu), and the goon was ほふ (fofu), although both became ほう (hō) in modern Japanese. It is suggested that the kan'on was used in the general senses, while the goon was used in Buddhist contexts.


牢

牢 (canonical)
rō (romanization)
rau (romanization)
らう (hiragana historical)


照

Nominalization of 照らし (terashi), the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 照らす (terasu, “to shine on something, to illuminate something”).


爪

From Old Japanese, in turn from Proto-Japonic *tumay. The standalone form of tsuma below.


爪

From Old Japanese. The root form of tsume above, generally only used in compounds. Cognate with 端 (tsuma, “edge, side of something”) and 妻 (tsuma, “wife”, original sense of “spouse”).

爪音

the sound of a stringed instrument when pluck with a pick or plectrum; the sound of a horse's hoofbeat

爪弾く

to pluck with one's fingernail, such as a stringed instrument

爪折る

to pick or break something off with one's fingernail

爪隠し

hiding one's claw; a kind of zōri grass sandal, where the front end extends and folds over the tops of the toe

摘まむ

to pinch; to pick at; to pick something up with the tip of one's finger

摘む

to pick something up with the tip of one's finger; to snip the tip off of something


母

From Old Japanese. Obsolete and unused in modern Japanese. Appears to be an alteration from amo above.

母家

main residence in a manor; main or central building in a palace; main household in an extended family; main store in a chain

母良

in ancient times, a woman serving at the Ise Grand Shrine

a woman who breastfeeds and raises a child in place of a parent: a wet nurse


母

Unknown. One theory holds that this is a corrupted and abbreviated form of 御方様 (okatasama), a term to refer to or address someone else's wife (now extremely formal, but much more everyday in the Edo period), possibly influenced by children's speech:
/okatasama/ → /katasama/ → /kakasama/ → /kaka/


瓣

(anatomy) valve (membranous partition, flap, or fold, which allows flow in only one direction, e.g. a heart valve)


獄

From Middle Chinese 獄／狱 (ngjowk, “prison”).


獄

Compound of 人 (hito, “human”) + 屋 (ya, “house”).


海

⟨umi₁⟩ → */umij/ → /umi/
From Old Japanese, theorized as descending from Proto-Japonic *omi.
Has been thought to have been derived from a compound. There are two leading theories regarding the ultimate derivation:
* Shift from 大 (ō-, “big, great”) + 水 (mi, “water”, combining form).
: This is problematic phonetically because there is no known term having a related shift from /opo/ → /oː/ → /o/ → /u/, and semantically as there already exists a compound 大水 (ōmizu, “flood”).
* From う (u-, stem indicating “ocean”) + 水 (mi, “water”, combining form). The u- stem is evident in 魚 (uo, “fish”) and 潮 (ushio, “salt water; tide”), and in the 海 (una) element in various ancient terms (see below).

海を渡る

cross over the ocean → go to a foreign country

(planetology) a mare (dark surface of a celestial body, thought to appear like a sea)

(calligraphy) in a 硯 (suzuri, “inkstone”), a reservoir where water is stored


炎

/emʉ/ → /eɴ/
From Middle Chinese 炎 (MC hjem).


甥

甥 (canonical)
oi (romanization)
wofi (romanization)
をひ (hiragana historical)

From Old Japanese, ultimately from Proto-Japonic *wopUi.
Attested in the Ryūnoshūge of 868 with the phonetic spelling 俗備 (⟨wopi₂⟩).


猛

猛 (canonical)
Takeshi (romanization)
猛 (canonical)
Takeru (romanization)


疳

traditional Chinese medicine
traditional Chinese medicine

(traditional Chinese medicine) infantile neurosis where there is nocturnal crying as well as convulsions


痔

痔 (canonical)
ji (romanization)
ぢ (hiragana historical)


申

the monkey, one of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac


申

the Monkey, the ninth of the twelve Earthly Branches


熊

熊 (canonical)
熊 (canonical)
kuma (romanization)

From Old Japanese. First cited in the Kojiki of 712.
Further derivation is uncertain. Possibilities include:
* Might be cognate with Japanese 隈 (kuma, “inside corner; inner bend; hollow or hole in something”), perhaps from the way that bears often live in dens.
* Might also or separately be cognate with Middle Korean 곰〯 (kwǒm, “bear”), whose archaic form */koma/ is preserved as the first element of the toponym 고마〮ᄂᆞᄅᆞ (Kwòmánòlò, literally “Bear-ford”). Thus, a cognate of Korean 곰 (gom, “bear”) and Baekje 金馬 (*kəma/*kuma, “bear”).
* Might be an areal Wanderwort, borrowed from Old Chinese 熊 (OC *ɢʷlɯm) and ultimately deriving from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *d-wam. See also the etymology notes in the *d-wam entry.

cog

(theater) standing room only audience members in the pit (from the way the standing section would often have a metal railing or fence separating it, resembling a bear cage)


症

(medicine) attached to the names of conditions


疣

疣 (canonical)
yū (romanization)
iu (romanization)
いう (hiragana historical)

(rare, medicine, only in compounds) a small protrusion of the skin: a wart, a verruca, a skin tag

足底疣贅

足底疣贅 そくていゆうぜい


癸

something J
tenth of the ten heavenly stems


癸

ja-pos

癸(みずのと) • (Mizunoto) ^(←みづのと (midunoto)?)

癸 (canonical)
Mizunoto (romanization)
midunoto (romanization)
みづのと (hiragana historical)

水 (Mizu, “Water”, one of the Five Elements) + の (no, attributive marker) + 弟 (oto, “younger brother”)


盥

盥 (canonical)
tarai (romanization)
tarafi (romanization)
たらひ (hiragana historical)

Korean: 다라이 (darai)


死

/si/ → /ɕi/
Appears to be a conflation of Middle Chinese 死 (MC sijX), with an Old Japanese root that happened to have a similar pronunciation to the Middle Chinese and was probably cognate with 去る (saru, “to go, to go away”). Compare modern Mandarin 死 (sǐ).
In kanji compounds, this would be considered as on'yomi; but on its own, this could be considered as either on'yomi or kun'yomi.

死勘定

dead account, trading account that has no activity

『死に至る病』

眠りは死よりも愉快である。少くとも容易には違いあるまい。

1925, Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, Aphorisms by a pygmy

Nemuri wa shi yori mo yukai de aru. Sukunaku to mo yōi ni wa chigai aru mai.

(law, historical) one of the five punishments under the 律令 (Ritsuryō) system, the methods used are 絞 (kō, “strangling”) and 斬 (zan, “decapitation”)


死

死灰

cold, dead ash; ash remaining after cremation

死界

underworld, world of the dead; blind spot, somewhere out of view

死学

field of study that has no practical use

死菌

dead bacterium or inactive virus used as the basis for a vaccine

死句

plain phrase or line in a poem, containing no implied meaning; ascetic's unsaid word or phrase, due to mental mistake

死蔵

putting something away and never using it

死文

dead law, law that is on the books but never enforced; document that is purely formal and empty of meaning


町

From Old Japanese, with the original meaning of "plot of land"; in turn, likely borrowed from Proto-Koreanic *mati, hence related with 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.


町

A Machi district; more detailed than 都, 道, 府, 県.


町

町 (canonical)
-chō (romanization)
tyau (romanization)
ちやう (hiragana historical)

A Chō district; more detailed than 市, 区.


球

球 (canonical)
kyū (romanization)
kiu (romanization)
きう (hiragana historical)

From Middle Chinese 毬／球 (gjuw, “ball, sphere, orb”).

五球スーパーラジオ


球

球のアンプ

いい球


正

正一位

正三位

正九位

(history) "senior" ranking for 位 (-i, “Japanese courtier rank”)


正

ja-pos

正(まさし) or 正(ただし) or 正(たゞし) • (Masashi or Tadashi)

正 (canonical)
正 (canonical)
正 (canonical)
Masashi (romanization)
Tadashi (romanization)


環

環 (canonical)
kan (romanization)
kwan (romanization)
くわん (hiragana historical)


牙

Compound of Old Japanese elements 牙 (ki, “fang, tusk”) + 歯 (ha, “tooth”). The ha changes to ba as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

牙上面

ivory or boar tusk used to rub the surface of a print in order to bring out the gloss

牙筍貝

a kind of auger snail of family Terebridae

牙を研ぐ: → to prepare to hurt one's opponent. Compare sharpen one's claws

牙あるものは角無し: → a metaphor for how no one is endow with every advantage

(falconry) dog (primarily used for counting hunting dogs)


物

⟨mo₂no₂⟩ → ⟨mono₂⟩ → /mono/
From Old Japanese. Attested in the Kojiki. Ultimately from Proto-Japonic *mənə.

この法律において「物」とは、有体物をいう。

The term "Things" as used in this Code shall mean tangible thing.

Kono hōritsu ni oite “mono” to wa, yūtaibutsu o iu.

thing (concrete, tangible)
(law) a corporeal object

thing (concrete, tangible)
a corporeal object


瞳

Likely 人(ひと) (hito, “person”) + 見(み) (mi, “see”), in reference to one's own reflection when staring into someone else's eyes. Compare Latin pūpilla, of the same derivation.


痴

From Middle Chinese 痴 (MC trhi). Compare modern Mandarin 痴 (chī).
The Buddhist sense is a translation of Sanskrit मोह (moha, “folly, ignorance”) or मूढ (mūḍha, “fool”).

(Buddhism) ignorance, one of the three roots of the vice dharmas


着

From Middle Chinese 著 (MC trjak).
First cited as an independent noun from the early 1700s.

used to count suits of clothing or individual garments


着

(archaic, possibly obsolete) in the area around Edo, short for 巾着切り (kinchaku kiri, “a cutpurse”).


着

From the 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 着る. Ultimately from Proto-Japonic *ki. The ki changes to gi as an instance of rendaku (連濁).


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.


琴

箏: a Chinese zither similar to the Japanese koto


琴

琴 (canonical)
Kumu (romanization)
琴 (canonical)
Gun (romanization)
琴 (canonical)
Kotoe (romanization)
琴 (canonical)
Kotozaki (romanization)
琴 (canonical)
Kotomi (romanization)


瞭

ja-pos

瞭(りょう) • (Ryō)


牛

牛 (canonical)
gyū (romanization)
giu (romanization)
ぎう (hiragana historical)

From Middle Chinese 牛 (ngjuw, “cow”). Compare Hokkien 牛 (giû / ngiû).


田

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

田を耕す