王

王 (canonical)
ō (romanization)
wau (romanization)
わう (hiragana historical)

/wau/ → /wɔː/ → */woː/ → /oː/
From Middle Chinese 王 (MC hjwang).

越王勾践 ― Etsuō Kōsen ― King Goujian of Yue

a king, especially one who is not East Asian or was East Asian in pre-imperial times; in China and Vietnam, generally a king before Qin Shi Huangdi who invented the title 皇帝 (kōtei, “huangdi; emperor”); in Korea, one of the many kings before the Korean Empire which was modeled after Japan's; in Japan, one of the rulers before Emperor Jinmu

親魏倭王 ― Shingi Waō ― the pro-Wei Queen of Wa

徴(女)王 ― Chō (Jo)ō ― the Trưng Queen

善徳(女)王 ― Zentoku (Jo)ō ― Queen Seondeok

武成王

興道王 ― Kōdō Ō ― Prince Hưng Đạo

a nobility title for a Chinese or Vietnamese prince, bestowed on one of the 皇帝 (kōtei, “huangdi; emperor”)'s adult sons, brothers, or nephews, especially as a coming-of-age title, generally comes with an estate ("principality"); compare 皇子 (ōji, “imperial princes”, especially pre-adult ones) and 公 (kō, “dukes”, an alternative used by certain dynasties)


癌

癌 (canonical)
癌 (canonical)
gan (romanization)

彼の祖母は癌で死んだ。

え？剣鋭介がガン⁉
E? Tsurugi Eisuke ga gan⁉
What? Eisuke Tsurugi has cancer!?
文化部の立原さんにきいたの、再発ですって。ガン細胞があちこち転移してて、こんどはダメだろうと………

1997 September 1 [1996 October 10], Fujiko F. Fujio, “くたばれ評論家 の巻 [The Drop-Dead Critic]”, in エスパー魔美 [Esper Mami], 4th edition, volume 1 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, page 151

I heard that from Mr. Tachihara of the Department of Culture, sounds like it’s a recurrence. The cancer cells have been spreading, seems like there’s not much hope this time around...

Bunkabu no Tachihara-san ni kiita no, saihatsu desu tte. Gan saibō ga achi kochi ten'i shite te, kondo wa dame darō to………


爺

ja-noun

爺(じい) or 爺(じじ) or 爺(じゞ) or 爺(じじい) or 爺(じゞい) • (jī or jiji or jijī) ^(←ぢい (dii) or ぢぢ (didi) or ぢぢい (didii)?)

爺 (canonical)
jī (romanization)
dii (romanization)
ぢい (hiragana historical)
爺 (canonical)
爺 (canonical)
爺 (canonical)
爺 (canonical)
jī (romanization)
jiji (romanization)
jijī (romanization)
dii (romanization)
didi (romanization)
didii (romanization)
ぢい (hiragana historical)
ぢぢ (hiragana historical)
ぢぢい (hiragana historical)
じじいじゞい (hiragana)

（お）爺さん
(o) jī-san
grandfather

（お）爺ちゃん
(o) jī-chan
grandpa; granddad

（お）爺ちゃん
(o) jī-chan
mister

バカヤロオ 会長の歳 考えろ 心臓止まっちまうだろうが‼
Bakayarō jijī no toshi kangaero shinzō tomatchimau darō ga‼
You idiot!! Think about gramps’s age!! His heart coulda stopped!!
うわぁ すいません
Uwā suimasen

1990 June 25 [1990 February 17], George Morikawa, “Round ５ 1965年のアッパーカット [Round 5: 1965’s Uppercut]”, in はじめの一歩 THE FIGHTING! (はじめの一歩 THE FIGHTING!) [The First Step: The Fighting!], 3rd edition, volume 1 (fiction), Tokyo: Kodansha, page 131

せんきゅうひゃく
ろくじゅうこ


瞼

Daijirin
Daijisen
Extended shinjitai
Kyōsuke Kindaichi
ja:松村明

Compound of 目 (ma, “eye”, ancient combining form of modern reading me) + 蓋 (futa, “lid”). The futa changes to buta as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

compound

mother [in, behind] one's eyelids” → the memory of one's mother


瞼

Daijirin
Daijisen
Extended shinjitai
Man'yōshū
ja:松村明

From Old Japanese. Appears in the Man'yōshū, completed some time after 759 CE. Derived as a compound of 目 (ma, “eye”, ancient combining form of modern reading me) + な (na, old variant of possessive particle の no) + 蓋 (futa, “lid”). The futa changes to buta as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

old variant of possessive particle <i class="Jpan mention" lang="ja">の</i> no

(anatomy, archaic, possibly obsolete) eyelid


碰

Borrowed from Mandarin 碰 (pèng).
Compare Cantonese 碰 (pung³), Hokkien 碰 (phòng).

(mahjong) a call for a 明刻 (minkō, “open triplet”) from a discarded tile, compare English pung

双碰

two-side wait pattern, winning tile may form a triplet with one or the other pair


瓶

bottle, jug, or jar made from glass, pottery, or ceramic

漂流瓶

漂流瓶 ひょうりゅうびん

秤量瓶

秤量瓶 ひょうりょうびん


磔

「私だ、刑吏！ 殺されるのは、私だ。メロスだ。彼を人質にした私は、ここにいる！」と、かすれた声で精一ぱいに叫びながら、ついに磔台に昇り、釣り上げられてゆく友の両足に、齧りついた。

1940, Osamu Dazai, Hashire Melos [Run, Melos!]

"It's me, executioner! The one who shall be killed is me. Melos. The me who held him hostage is here!" Shouting in a hoarse voice with all his strength, he grabbed the legs of his friend who was already hoisted onto the cross.

“Watashi da, keiri! Korosareru no wa, watashi da. Merosu da. Kare o hitojichi ni shita watashi wa, koko ni iru!” to, kasureta koe de seīppai ni sakebinagara, tsui ni haritsukedai ni nobori, tsuriagerareteyuku tomo no ryōashi ni, kajiritsuita.


祐

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

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


祐

Nominalization of classical adjective 広し (hiroshi), modern 広い (hiroi, “vast, wide”).


眉

/majo/ → /maju/
From Old Japanese. Appears in the Man'yōshū poetry anthology of the mid-700s with the reading mayo. The ma element is very likely 目 (ma, “eye”, ancient combining form of modern me reading), but the derivation of the yo element is unclear.

眉毛: eyebrow

more explicitly refers to the hair of the eyebrow


税

From Middle Chinese 稅 (MC sywejH). First cited in Japanese to a portion of the Shoku Nihongi dated to 719.

tax, duty, customs (money paid to the government)

消費税

consumption tax, value added tax, goods and services tax


税

Daijisen#Online_search_engines
Engishiki
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
ja:延喜式

Shift in sense from 力 (chikara, “strength”), implying "that which is produced from strength".
First cited in the 延喜式 (Engishiki) of 927.

(historical, archaic) general term for items presented by the people to the state: tribute, taxes


禅

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

野狐禅

someone who has not fully attained enlightenment, but puts on airs and becomes self-important as if they have

(Buddhism) the disciplines and doctrine of Zen Buddhism


禅

→ English: Zen

→ French: zen

→ German: Zen

→ Spanish: Zen

→ Thai: เซน (seen), เซ็น (sen)

(Buddhism) Short for 禅宗 (Zenshū): Zen Buddhism


秤

Extended shinjitai
Kyūjitai
Shinjitai
ja:秤

The 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 量(はか)る (hakaru).


祈

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


祈

Nominalization of the verb 祈る (inoru, “to pray, to hope for”).


祈

祈 (canonical)
Eba (romanization)
祈 (canonical)
Kirari (romanization)


番

番 (canonical)
-ban (romanization)
ばん (hiragana historical)


番

2番の歌詞


異

From Middle Chinese 異 (MC yiH). Compare modern Mandarin 異／异 (yì, /i⁵¹/), Cantonese 異／异 (ji⁶, /jiː²²/).

(Buddhism) change or disease, one of the four states or avasthā


省

省 (canonical)
shō (romanization)
syau (romanization)
しやう (hiragana historical)

From Middle Chinese 省 (MC srjaengX|sjengX).

法務省

広東省


省

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


秭

A trillion trillion, 10²⁴, or a septillion of modern English in modern Japanese since 17th century.


竽

From Middle Chinese 竽 (MC hju). Compare modern Mandarin 竽 (yú).

This instrument fell out of use for 雅楽 (gagaku, “court music”) in the mid-Heian period, and was later reconstructed after World War II based in part on artifacts at the Shōsōin.

a woodwind instrument introduced to Japan from China during the Nara period, similar to a 笙 (shō, “a kind of free-reed woodwind instrument”), but larger and one octave lower in pitch

to play a bass koto to someone who likes the u

竽を好むに瑟を鼓す: → to do something that doesn't suit a person's taste


秒

秒 (canonical)
byō (romanization)
beu (romanization)
べう (hiragana historical)

second (one-sixtieth of a minute; SI unit of time)


筌

a device placed in a river used to capture fish


矢

From Old Japanese. Found in the Kojiki of 712 CE, and in the Man'yōshū completed some time after 759 CE.

光陰矢の如し。
Kōin ya no gotoshi.
Shine and shadow, just like an arrow. → Time flies like an arrow.

, text here
大夫之弓上振起射都流矢乎後将見人者語継金 [Man'yōgana]
ますらをの弓末振り起し射つる矢を後見む人は語り継ぐがね [Modern spelling]

masurao no yuzue furiokoshi itsuru ya o nochi mimu hito wa kataritsugu gane


祥

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

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


秀

ja-pos

秀(しゅう) • (Shū)

→ English: S rank


禊

→ English: misogi

From Old Japanese, though the original pronunciation of the initial miso is likely unknown.
The term itself is derived from the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 禊ぐ (misogu, “to perform ablutions (on someone)”, archaic).
Some sources suggest that this might be derived further from a compound of 身 (mi, “body”) + 注ぎ (sosogi, “pouring over, into, onto”), or alternatively from 水 (mi, “water”) + 注ぎ (sosogi, “pouring over, into, onto”). Considering that 身 had an ancient reading of ⟨mi₂⟩, while 水 had an ancient reading of ⟨mi₁⟩, the latter is a better potential match.

恋せじと御手洗川にせしみそぎ神はうけずぞなりにけらしも

905–914, Kokin Wakashū (book 11, poem 501)

Longing [or “loving”] no more and purified by ritual ablution at the river of cleansing, the gods seemed to accept it not at the end.

koiseji to mitarashigawa ni seshi misogi kami ni ukezu zo narinikerashi mo

(Shinto) a form of ritual purification performed with water; compare English ablution

風そよぐならの小川の夕暮れはみそぎぞ夏のしるしなりける

1235, Shinchokusen Wakashū (book 3, poem 192; also Hyakunin Isshu, poem 98)

Rustling winds among the oak [leaves] at river Nara dusk-eventime; the lustration rites are but a sign ’tis still summertime.

kaze soyogu Nara-no-ogawa no yūgure wa misogi zo natsu no shirushi narikeru

(Shinto, particularly) a purification ritual held in shrines on the last day of the sixth lunar month


穰

穰(じょう) • (Jō)


短

From Middle Chinese 短 (twan^X, “short”).


笹

笹 (canonical)
笹 (canonical)
sasa (romanization)

Translingual: Sasa


笙

笙 (canonical)
shō (romanization)
syau (romanization)
しやう (hiragana historical)

→ English: sho

/ɕau/ → /ɕɔː/ → /ɕoː/
From Middle Chinese 笙 (MC sraeng). The goon reading, so likely the original reading as first borrowed from Middle Chinese. Compare modern Mandarin 笙 (shēng).
The shō was developed from the Chinese shēng that was introduced to Japan during the Nara period.

a free-reed woodwind musical instrument used in Japanese court music, consisting of a mouthpiece and seventeen pipes, each similar to an organ pipe

笙歌

singing to a sho accompaniment; to sing to a sho accompaniment; song sung to a sho accompaniment

笙窟

cave and pilgrimage destination in central Nara Prefecture


盆

Kyūjitai Shinjitai Tray Tōkyō ja:トレイ Ōsaka

table
From Middle Chinese 盆 (MC bwon). Compare modern Mandarin 盆 (pén).

覆水盆に返らず: → some things cannot be undone

spilt water does not return to the basin

compare raining pitchforks and hammer handles

盆に載せたる蟇: → a metaphor for being at a loss and unable to proceed

much as a toad on a tray will slip about and be unable to get traction

塗り盆に載せた蛙: → a metaphor for being at a loss and unable to proceed

much as a frog on a lacquered tray will slip about and be unable to get traction

塗り盆へ載せた蟇蛙: → a metaphor for being at a loss and unable to proceed

much as a toad on a lacquered tray will slip about and be unable to get traction

to look at the sky with a pot [or tray] on one's head

盆を戴きて天を望む: → a metaphor for two things that cannot be done at the same time

tray on one's head would prevent one from looking up

a gambling den, a place where gambling happens


盆

Benjamin Franklin
Bon Festival
Daijirin
Daijisen
Junjirō Takakusu
Kyōsuke Kindaichi
Kyūjitai
Shinjitai
Tōkyō
ja:お盆
ja:松村明
Ōsaka

table
Short for 盂蘭盆 (Urabon) or 盂蘭盆会 (Urabon'e), from Middle Chinese 盂蘭盆 (hju lan bwon) or 盂蘭盆會 (hju lan bwon hwajᴴ) (compare modern Mandarin 盂蘭盆／盂兰盆 (yúlánpén) or 盂蘭盆會／盂兰盆会 (yúlánpénhuì)), a transcription of Pali ullumpana (“raising, helping”), present participle of Pali verb ullumpati (“to raise up, to help”).
A number of Japanese dictionaries state that this term derives from Sanskrit उल्लम्बन (ullambana), purportedly meaning “hanging upside-down” in reference to the souls of the dead being tortured in hell by being strung up by their feet. However, the Sanskrit word was sparsely, if at all, attested (Ashikaga, 1951); in addition, it would be the present participle of verb उल्लम्ब् (ullamb, “to hang”, intransitive), with no inherent “upside-down” meaning.
Moreover, neither the purported meaning of “hanging upside-down” nor the verifiable meaning of “hanging” match the semantics very well, given that the urabon ceremonies are about helping the dead, closer in meaning to the “helping” sense of the Pali verb. This suggests that explanations of the dead hanging upside-down in hell are more likely to be folk etymologies based on a mistaken connection to the Sanskrit verb, rather than a more direct semantic link to the Pali. Alternatively, Junjirō Takakusu (apud Ashikaga, 1951) propounded that the origin was in fact Pali ullumbana, a colloquial corruption of Pali ullumpana (“raising up; saving; helping”), and that the etymology was mistakenly attributed to Sanskrit.

zh-l

盂蘭盆會／盂兰盆会 (yúlánpénhuì)

cog

the Obon or Bon Festival, an event with Buddhist roots, celebrated on July 15

盂蘭盆

festival, more specifically the Buddhist ceremonies

⦃⦃ja-r¦盆踊¦^ぼん ^おどり⦄⦄: a traditional dance performed at Obon

盆と正月が一時に来たよう: → extremely busy

as if Bon and New Years came at the same time

Bon no jūroku-nichi wa jigoku no kama no futa ga aku

盆の十六日は地獄の釜の蓋が開く: “on the 16th day of Bon

the lids on the kettles of hell open up” → from a tradition that the 16th day of July is a day of rest and relative peace for the souls of the damned

when the demons of hell temporarily let people off the hook

and employers in this world would give their employees a day off

the mackerel business after Bon has finished

盆過ぎての鯖商い: → a metaphor for something past its prime

the way that grilled mackerel was often given as a gift food item

盆過ぎての蓮の葉: → a metaphor for something past its prime

the way that lotus leaves would often be used in offering during Obon

盆過ぎての蓮の花: → a metaphor for something past its prime

the way that lotus flowers would often be used in offering during Obon

Bon mikka wa yome to shūtome ga nakayoku naru

brides and mothers-in-law (can) get along for the three days of Bon

盆三日は嫁と姑が仲よくなる: → from how family and other guests come to visit during Obon

compare the famous Benjamin Franklin quote

“After three days men grow weary of a wench

List of festivals in Japan on Wiktionary


筑

(music) an ancient zither-like instrument


籬

籬 (canonical)
kaki (romanization)
籬 (canonical)
magaki (romanization)
籬 (canonical)
mase (romanization)


突

CJK compatibility ideographs
Kyūjitai
Shinjitai
kyūjitai

(martial arts) an attacking move in kendo, sumo, et al.; thrust, lunge


甲

ja-pos

甲(こう) • (Kō)


甲

甲 (canonical)
yoroi (romanization)
yorofi (romanization)
よろひ (hiragana historical)


甲

木 (Ki, “Wood”, one of the Five Elements) + の (no, attributive marker) + 兄 (e, “elder brother”)


笠

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *kasa (“cover, hat”). Cognate with Miyako 笠 (kasa), Okinawan 笠 (kasa), Yaeyama 笠 (kasa). Related to 傘 (kasa, “umbrella”).


無

→ English: mu

From Middle Chinese 無 (MC mju). The 呉音 (goon), so likely an earlier borrowing.

(Buddhism) mu; the null set: neither yes nor no (in response to a koan or other question that mistakenly assumes an affirmative or negative answer).


簫

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

From Middle Chinese 簫／箫 (sew, “xiao (Chinese flute)”).


簪

/kamusaɕi/ → /kanzaɕi/
Originally a compound of 髪 (kamu, “hair, hair of the head”, Old Japanese combining form) + 挿し (sashi, “sticker-through (something that sticks through)”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 挿す sasu “to stick through, to insert”). The sashi changes to zashi as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

compound

the <i class="Jpan mention" lang="ja">連用形</i> (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 挿す sasu “to stick through, to insert”

a hairpin, particularly a fancy decorative hairpin used in Japanese women's hairstyles


続

続編

a sequel, a continuation of an earlier work

(by extension, literature and other media) next installment


続

(literature and other media) next installment


箏

English: koto

⟨ko₂to₂⟩ → */kətə/ → /koto/
From Old Japanese.
Possibly derived from a compound of elements 木 (ko, “tree, wood”, combining form) + 音 (oto, “sound”), with the additional medial o dropped by haplology.

com

koto: a Japanese zither derived from the Chinese guzheng

(colloquial) guzheng: a Chinese zither where the koto was based on


箏

箏 (canonical)
sō (romanization)
sau (romanization)
さう (hiragana historical)

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


箏

箏 (canonical)
shō (romanization)
syau (romanization)
しやう (hiragana historical)

/ɕau/ → /ɕɔː/ → /ɕoː/
Appears in the Iroha Jiruishō (c. mid-late 12th century).
From Middle Chinese 箏 (MC tsreang). The goon reading, so likely a later borrowing.

(possibly obsolete) a guzheng, zheng (Chinese zither), where the koto was based on


真

真 (canonical)
真 (canonical)
Tadashi (romanization)

From classical adjective 正し (tadashi), modern 正しい (tadashii, “correct, right, true”).


真

From classical adjective 正し (masashi, “accurate, authentic, correct”).


縁

縁, 椽: (Japanese architecture) a veranda or terrace surrounding a house: engawa


竜

ja-noun

竜(りゅう) • (ryū)

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

山の砦を守る竜。天空から急降下して敵を攻撃。

1999 July 22, “砦を守る翼竜 [Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress]”, in Vol.4, Konami

A dragon who guards a mountainous fortress. It strikes its enemies as it dives down from the sky.

Yama no toride o mamoru ryū. Tenkū kara kyūkōka shite teki o kōgeki.

竜も人も一緒に生きればいい そのくらいの広さは 世界にはあるだろ？オレはそんな世界を見たいんだ

2004 May 1, Izawa, Hiroshi with Yamada, Kotaro, “第26話 賢者の試問 [Chapter 26: A Test with the Sage]”, in ファイアーエムブレム 覇者の剣 [Fire Emblem: Sword of Champions], volume 7 (fiction), Tokyo: Shueisha, page 70

Dragons and humans ought to be able to coexist. Isn’t the world large enough for both? I’d love to see such a world.

Ryū mo hito mo issho ni ikireba ii Sono kurai no hirosa wa sekai ni wa aru daro? Ore wa sonna sekai o mitai n da

神と呼ばれし竜ファ ― Kami to Yobareshi Ryū Fa ― Fa, the Dragon Known as God

2007 October 20, Izawa, Hiroshi with Yamada, Kotaro, “最終話 それぞれの道へ [Final Chapter: Epilog]”, in ファイアーエムブレム 覇者の剣 [Fire Emblem: Sword of Champions], Jump Remix edition, volume 5 (fiction), Tokyo: Shueisha, page 353

(mythology) Synonym of ドラゴン (doragon): a Western dragon

(shogi, colloquial) Short for 竜王 (ryūō): dragon king; a promoted 角行 (kakugyō, “bishop”) that has the moves of both kakugyō and 王将 (ōshō)/玉将 (gyokushō)


竜

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

(astronomy) Short for りゅう座 (Ryūza): the constellation Draco


竜

竜 (canonical)
ryō (romanization)
ryou (romanization)
りよう (hiragana historical)

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

(mythology, rare or in Chinese contexts) a Chinese dragon


竜

From Old Japanese.
Possibly from the verb 立つ (tatsu, “to rise, stand”).


的

From Old Japanese.
* May be derived from rare archaic verb いくう (ikuu, “to shoot [an arrow] at something”, archaic spelling いくふ).
: The ha element would presumably derive from the verb ending ふ (fu), which has a 未然形 (mizenkei, “incomplete form”) of ha. However, this is unlikely, as verb forms ending in -fu underwent the regular f- and h- > w- shift, which would result in a reading of *ikuwa rather than the correct ikuha.
* The above phonetic discrepancy suggests that ikuha may instead be a compound of iku + ha. The iku element probably derives from root component いく (iku) meaning “shooting [arrows]”, as found in いくう (ikuu) and also in 戦 (ikusa, “a battle”, original meaning “the shooting of arrows”). The iku element might be related to verb 射る (iru, “to shoot an arrow”), or obsolete verb 生く (iku, “to live; to make something live, to make something go”), likely cognate with 行く (iku, “to go”).
: The ha element is uncertain. It might be 端 (ha, “the edge or end of something”), from the sense “the end [of the arrow's flight]”.

的所

the location where an archery target is placed


的

[jɯ̟ᵝkɯ̟ᵝha̠]

From Old Japanese. Alteration of ikuha above. Compare the iku <> yuku alteration in the verb 行く (iku, yuku, “to go”).


男

男 (canonical)
otoko (romanization)
wotoko (romanization)
をとこ (hiragana historical)

男の目には糸を引け女の目には鈴を張れ

otoko no me ni wa ito o hike onna no me ni wa suzu o hare

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

com

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

男は閾を跨げば七人の敵あり

otoko wa shikii o matageba shichinin no teki ari


男

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


男

/dam/ → /damʉ/ → /daɴ/
From Middle Chinese 男 (MC nom).
The 漢音 (kan'on) reading, so likely a later borrowing.

a young man, especially one who reached adulthood


笛

⟨puye⟩ → */puje/ → /ɸue/ → /fue/
From Old Japanese, first cited to the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE.
Likely related to the verb 吹く (fuku, “to blow”).

(music) a side-blown flute, as opposed to end-blown instruments such as the 篳篥 (hichiriki)


笛

From Middle Chinese 笛 (MC dek). The 漢音 (kan'on, literally “Han sound”), so likely a later borrowing.
First cited to a text from the 1400s. This reading appears to have fallen out of use.

(music, archaic, possibly obsolete) a flute, particularly the Chinese side-blown flute


笛

From a corruption of Middle Chinese 笛 (MC dek).
First cited to a text from 1241.


紬

[t͡sɨᵝmɯ̟ᵝɡʲi]

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


綠

For names, this 旧字体 (kyūjitai, literally “old form”) of the kanji may still be used. For all other uses, see the 緑 entry.


相

相 (canonical)
sō (romanization)
sau (romanization)
さう (hiragana historical)

From Middle Chinese. Goon, so likely an earlier borrowing than the shō reading.


科

科 (canonical)
-ka (romanization)
kwa (romanization)
くわ (hiragana historical)


級

級 (canonical)
kyū (romanization)
kifu (romanization)
きふ (hiragana historical)

/kipu/ → /kiɸu/ → */kiwu/ → /kiu/ → /kyuː/.
From Middle Chinese 級 (MC kip).

最上級

最上級 さいじょうきゅう

収束級数

収束級数 しゅうそくきゅうすう

無限級数

無限級数 むげんきゅうすう

等差級数

等差級数 とうさきゅうすう

等比級数

等比級数 とうひきゅうすう

調和級数

調和級数 ちょうわきゅうすう

(typography) a unit equal to 1 H (ha) and 0.25 mm, abbreviated as Q, which happens to be the initial of English quarter; Q is used for font size, while ha is used for spacing


絆

絆 (canonical)
Kizuna (romanization)
kiduna (romanization)
きづな (hiragana historical)

/kiduna/ → /kid͡zuna/ → /kizuna/
Likely from Old Japanese, first attested in the Wamyō Ruijushō (938 CE).
The final -zuna is definitely from 綱 (tsuna, “rope”), while the initial ki- remains uncertain.
The more positive connotation of "bond" is attested in The Tale of the Heike (c. 1330).


粽

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

ja-compound

(Buddhism, architecture) Short for 粽形 (chimaki-gata): a Zen-style pillar with rounded edges on the top and bottom parts


父

From Old Japanese 父 (titi), from Proto-Japonic *titi.
Still in modern usage.

父上

honourable father; chichiue, term in respect primarily used in writing

父親

father; chichioya, specifically as someone's parent

近代医学の父

(by extension, figurative) a father figure (male initiator or founder of something)


父

The “father” and “uncle” affixes is from Middle Chinese 父 (MC bjuX).
The “old man” affix is from Middle Chinese 父 (MC pjuX).


皇

皇 (canonical)
Kō (romanization)
kwau (romanization)
くわう (hiragana historical)

/kʷau/ → /kʷɔː/ → /kɔː/ → /koː/
From Middle Chinese 皇 (MC hwang).
The 漢音 (kan'on, literally “Han sound”) pronunciation, so likely a later borrowing from Middle Chinese.


皇

From the prefix 皇 (sume-) + 等 (-ra, nominalizing and pluralizing suffix).


皇

[sɨᵝme̞ɾa̠ɡʲi]

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


皇

皇 (canonical)
Kimi (romanization)
皇 (canonical)
Kirari (romanization)
皇 (canonical)
Tadasu (romanization)
皇 (canonical)
Miyuki (romanization)


笑

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

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


糞

From Old Japanese, in turn from Proto-Japonic *kuso.
Cognate with 臭い (kusai, “stinky, smelly”), 腐る (kusaru, “to rot, to become stinky”).


糞

下手糞

crappy (bad at something), to be shit at doing something

襤褸糞

crappy, for shit: a derogatory emphasizing suffix.


糞

糞 (canonical)
糞 (canonical)
fun (romanization)

/pun/ → /fun/
From Middle Chinese 糞 (MC pjunH).

ふれあい動物園のモルモットが受けるストレスを糞中コルチコステロンによって推定する試み
fureai dōbutsuen no morumotto ga ukeru sutoresu o funchū koruchikosuteron ni yotte suitei suru kokoromi
Non-invasive monitoring of stress via fecal corticosterone levels in guinea pigs on public display


糞

Appears to derive from baby talk. Compare English poopoo and Mandarin 㞎㞎 (bǎba).


紀

ジュラ紀


綱

綱 (canonical)
kō (romanization)
kau (romanization)
かう (hiragana historical)

From Middle Chinese 綱 (MC kang). Compare Korean 강 (gang).


糖

糖 (canonical)
tō (romanization)
tau (romanization)
たう (hiragana historical)

From Middle Chinese 糖 (MC dang, “sugar”).


聡

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


目

目迎

turning one's gaze towards the direction from which someone is coming

目算

eyeball something, making a visual estimate or calculation of something

目笑

smiling with one's eyes; smiling at one another, catching another's eye and smiling or laughing

目食耳視

eating with one's eyes, looking with one's ears→ choosing foods based on what they look like instead of their taste, and choosing fashions based on what people say instead of how comfortable they are → all style and no substance

目銭: a kind of tax levied in the Kamakura and Muromachi period

a property tax based on the area of agricultural land

目前

right before one's eye, right away, imminent, immediate

目送

follow something or someone with one's eyes

executor of a lord starting from the late Heian period

deputy starting from the Kamakura period

目礼

greet or acknowledging someone with one's eyes

目割れ

plot, conspiracy, or other hidden plan being expose or found out

岡目八目

lookers-on see most of the game; Observers can read eight moves ahead while watching a game of Go from the side

真面目

real appearance or worth of something; serious

面目

one's honor, one's metaphorical face; external appearance

(taxonomy) an order in biology: smaller than a class, bigger than a family


素

素 (canonical)
su (romanization)
す (hiragana historical)

ご飯の素


素

ja-adj

素(そ) • (so) -na (adnominal 素(そ)な (so na), adverbial 素(そ)に (so ni))

素 (canonical)
so (romanization)
素な (adnominal)
素に (adverbial)

互いに素

(mathematics) prime (having no factors but 1 and itself)


箸

→ Bengali: হাশি (haśi)

→ Esperanto: haŝio

→ Jeju: 하시 (hasi)

→ Palauan: hasi

→ Portuguese: hashi

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *pasuy (compare Ainu パスイ (pasui)). Possibly related to 嘴 (“beak”) or 端 (“tip”).


紙

Daijisen#Online_search_engines
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Nihon Shoki

Cited to manuscript kana glosses in the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE.
Appears to be a shift in pronunciation from the Middle Chinese term 簡 (MC keanX), borrowed into Old Japanese with the pronunciation kan.
* /kaɴ/ → */kamu/ → /kami/
Earlier Japanese writing was ambiguous regarding the final n sound spelled ん in modern Japanese, with this sound often spelled (and possibly pronounced) as む (mu) instead. Compare the similar appearance of an excrescent final -i in the derivation of 文 (fumi) from borrowed bun or pun.


紙

紙 (canonical)
shi (romanization)
si (romanization)
し (hiragana historical)

大手紙


胴

ja-noun

胴(どう) • (dō)


緑

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


籠

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


籠

Short for 伏籠 (fusego): a clothes airer, or chicken coop


籠

ja-pos

籠(ろう) • (rō)

From Middle Chinese 籠 (MC luwng) and 籠 (MC luwngX).


繞

繞 (canonical)
nyō (romanization)
neu (romanization)
ねう (hiragana historical)

Chinese character radical that covers the left and bottom of a Chinese character


膕

Coordinate term: 膝頭 (hizagashira)


経

経 (canonical)
kyō (romanization)
kyau (romanization)
きやう (hiragana historical)

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

der

(Buddhism) a sutra (Buddhist scripture):

a discourse of the Gautama Buddha, one of the Twelve Divisions of Mahayana Buddhism

契経

discourse of the Buddha, division of Tripitaka

short for 経蔵 (Kyōzō): the Sutta Pitaka, one of the three divisions of the Tripitaka

経蔵

collective term for Buddhist literature including sutras in general

(Buddhism, by extension of reading sutras) a Buddhist service or rite


経

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


経

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


翔

ja-pos

翔(しょう) • (Shō)


線

ガンマ線

千歳線


石

⟨isi⟩ → /iɕi/
From Old Japanese. First cited in the Man'yōshū of 759. In turn, the Old Japanese is reconstructed as from Proto-Japonic *esoy.
Likely cognate with 磯 (iso, “pebble; gravel; rocky beach”).


石

六石ラジオ

(slang, electronics) counter for transistors, especially discrete ones


石

Short for 石見国 (Iwami-no-kuni): Iwami Province


脚

流星・ブラボー脚‼

2004 September 8, Nobuhiro Watsuki, “第３４話 Let’s お見舞い [Chapter 34: Let’s Go for a Hospital Visit]”, in 武装錬金 (武装錬金) [Armed Alchemy], volume 4, Tokyo: Shueisha

(martial arts) used in the names of moves that involve kicking


脛

the front of the leg between the knee and the ankle: the shin


膾

namasu, a Japanese dish consisting of thinly sliced uncooked vegetables and meat or seafood, marinated in rice vinegar


肘

肘 (canonical)
hiji (romanization)
fidi (romanization)
ひぢ (hiragana historical)

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


脇

Nominalization of verb 分く (waku, “to split, to divide”), from the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem form”) of waki. Came to refer to the space between where two things split off from each other, and then, by extension, came to refer to the side of something.

脇の御膳

a type of fancy banquet dish for nobility

to be susceptible to underarm hold and throw

脇からはそうもあるまいと見ゆるもの: “from the sidelines

waki kara wa sō mo aru mai to miyuru mono

it might not look like it could be that way” → it's generally difficult for someone uninvolved in a serious matter to understand all the particulars

脇を詰める: → to become an adult

to fill in the underarms; from the way that children's clothes would have openings in the underarms and along other seams, to allow for alteration as the child grew

脇を塞ぐ: → to become an adult

to close off the underarms; from the way that children's clothes would have openings in the underarms and along other seams, to allow for alteration as the child grew

おまえは腋の下を拭いているね。冷汗が出るのか。

1928, Motojirō Kajii, Sakura no ki no shita ni wa [Under the cherry trees], Modern kanji and kana edition

I see you are wiping your armpit. Cold sweat?

Omae wa waki no shita o fuiteiru ne. Hiyaase ga deru no ka.


職

回復職 ― kaifuku-shoku ― medic


罪

殺人罪 (satsujin-zai, “murder (as a crime)”)

堕胎罪 (datai-zai, “unlawful abortion”)

(law) Used after the name of an action, to form the name of a criminal charge


紫

紫 (canonical)
紫 (canonical)
murasaki (romanization)

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

茜さす

akane sasu, pillow word that can be an allusion to murasaki

Short for 紫色 (murasaki-iro): the color purple


紫

(historical, colloquial, from 江戸紫 (Edo murasaki, “royal purple”), where the dye is traditionally made in) Edo, the de facto capital of the Tokugawa shogunate

(colloquial) Short for 紫式部 (Murasaki Shikibu): Heian-period novelist and lady-in-waiting


紫

From 縁 (yukari, “affinity, connection”).


脳

脳 (canonical)
nō (romanization)
nau (romanization)
なう (hiragana historical)

/nau/ → /nɔː/ → /noː/
From Middle Chinese 腦 (MC nawX).


脳

脳 (canonical)
nazuki (romanization)
naduki (romanization)
なづき (hiragana historical)

⟨naduki₁⟩ → */nadukʲi/ → /nad͡zuki/ → /nazuki/
From Old Japanese.
The 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of classical verb 漬く (nazuku, “to be immersed in water (or other liquid)”).


胃

胃 (canonical)
I (romanization)
wi (romanization)
ゐ (hiragana historical)

/wi/ → /i/
From Middle Chinese 胃 (MC hjw+jH).

Twenty-Eight Mansions
w:Twenty-Eight Mansions

(Chinese astronomy) Stomach Mansion (one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions)


腺

→ Chinese: 腺 (xiàn)

→ Korean: 선(腺) (seon)

→ Vietnamese: tuyến

See Glyph origin above. The reading sen is based on the kan'on of the 泉 base.


臘

ja-noun

臘(ろう) • (rō)

a year in Buddhism after one completes a meditation retreat


肺

肺 (canonical)
fukufukushi (romanization)

[ɸɯ̟ᵝkɯ̟ᵝɸɯ̟ᵝkɯ̟ᵝɕi]

/pukupukusi/ → /ɸukuɸusi/.
From Old Japanese.


腕

腕 (canonical)
ude (romanization)
本 (counter)

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *untay. Cognate with Okinawan 腕 (udi).

……腕がなんで二本あるかしってるか それはな
……Ude ga nan de ni-hon aru ka shitteru ka Sore wa na
……Do you know why we have two hands? For situations like this
早まるな万事屋‼希望を捨てるな

2006 December 9, Hideaki Sorachi, “第百十九訓 四人揃えばいろんな知恵 [Lesson 119: Four Heads Are Better Than One]”, in [銀](ぎん)[魂](たま) ([銀](ぎん)[魂](たま)) [Silver Soul], volume 14 (fiction), Tokyo: Shueisha

Hang in there, do-it-all guy‼ Don’t give up hope just yet


股

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *mata. Cognate with Miyako 股 (また, mata), Okinawan 股 (また, mata).

(anatomy) crotch, the space between the thighs


股

K41 Femoral Hernia 大腿〈股〉ヘルニア
K41 Thigh (femoral) hernia

1998, Health and Welfare Statistics Association, Health and Welfare Statistics in Japan, page 195

(anatomy, generally attributive) femoral, relating to the thigh or femur


膿

⟨umi₁⟩ → */umʲi/ → /umi/
Possibly from Old Japanese.
Nominalization of the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 膿む (umu, “to fester”).


膿

ja-pos

膿(のう) • (nō)


膿

ja-noun

膿(のう) • (nō)


舵

舵 (canonical)
kaji (romanization)
kadi (romanization)
かぢ (hiragana historical)

/kadi/ → /kad͡ʑi/
From Old Japanese. This originally referred to a single oar-like device attached to the back of a small boat and swept from side to side to propel the boat forward. This was also used for steering, and over time, the “single back oar” sense was largely superseded by the “steering device” sense.

(nautical, aeronautics) the helm, tiller, or wheel of a boat or ship, or of an aircraft

(nautical) a single oar-like device attached to the back of a small boat and swept from side to side to propel the boat forward


膣

[t͡ɕi̥t͡sɨᵝ]

From Middle Chinese 膣 (MC trit|tet). Compare modern Cantonese 膣 (zat⁶).


艦

航空母艦

航空母艦 こうくうぼかん


ABC

ABC(エービーシー) • (ēbīshī)

[e̞ːbʲiːɕiː]


膝

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *pinsa.

膝を抱える


肩

肩！肩に 肩に乗ってる奴を殺せ‼

2013 April 7 [2012 December 9], ONE with Murata, Yusuke, “３撃目 災害存在 [3rd Hit: Existential Crisis]”, in [ONEPUNCH-MAN](【ワンパンマン】) [One-Punch Man], 6th edition, volume 1 (fiction), Tokyo: Shueisha, page 53

Shoulder! Your shoulder! Kill the bastard on your shoulder!!

Kata! Kata ni Kata ni notteru yatsu o korose‼


菫

ja:スミレ ja:スミレ属 ja:スミレ科


苞

苞 (canonical)
hō (romanization)
fau (romanization)
はう (hiragana historical)


莪

(botany) name of two different plants in the family Asteraceae


莪

莪 (canonical)
kitsuneazami (romanization)

(botany) type of thistle (Hemisteptia lyrata)


莪

莪 (canonical)
tsunoyomogi (romanization)

(botany) name of plant in the Artemisia genus


萩

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


種

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *tanay.


種

/t͡ɕɨu/ → /ɕʲu/ → /ɕu/
From Middle Chinese 種 (MC tsyowngX).


繁

Nominalization of verb 茂る (shigeru, “to grow thick, be luxuriant”).


茗

/mjau/ → /mjɔː/ → /mjoː/
From Middle Chinese 茗 (MC mengX).

tea, especially tea picked later in the season

茶

especially tea picked earlier in the season

新茗

newly-sprouted leaves of tea, tea made from newly-sprouted leaves of tea


苺

Nihon Shoki
Shinsen Jikyō
Wamyō Ruijushō

⟨i ti pi₁ko₁⟩ → /itibʲikʷo/ → */itimiko/ → */itĩɡo/ → /it͡siɡo/ → /it͡ɕiɡo/
First attested in the Wamyō Ruijushō (938 CE).
Shift from Old Japanese 蓬蔂 (itibiko → ichibiko), attested earlier in the Nihon Shoki (720 CE) and the Shinsen Jikyō (c. 900 CE), itself a compound of 斎 (i-, prefix expressing sacredness) + 血 (chi, “blood”) + 彦 (hiko, “boy, prince”).


茜

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


翼

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


翼

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


翼

Nominalization of classical verb 助く (tasuku), modern 助ける (tasukeru, “to assist, help; rescue, save”).


茨

/ubara/ → /ibara/
Sound shift from Old Japanese ubara (see below). Now the modern version of this term.

(architecture, construction) the point where two curved lines come together, such as the tip of a cusped gable


萼

(botany) a calyx (collective term for sepals)


萼

Extension of 台 (utena, “tower, stand”), to a part of a flower.


臍

Extended shinjitai
Heian period
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten

Might be a shift from, or cognate with 臍 (hozo, “navel”).
First cited to a text from 810 CE, around the Heian period.


臍

Daijisen#Online_search_engines
Extended shinjitai
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Nihon Shoki

From Old Japanese 臍 (poso). First attested in the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE. Ultimately from Proto-Japonic *pəsə. Cognate with Kikai 臍 (pusu, husu), Kunigami 臍 (husu, pusū), Miyako 臍 (pusu, pisu), Northern Amami-Oshima 臍 (husu), Okinawan 臍 (husu), Oki-No-Erabu 臍 (husu), Southern Amami-Oshima 臍 (husu), Toku-No-Shima 臍 (husyu), Yaeyama 臍 (pusu, puchu), Yonaguni 臍 (husu), and Yoron 臍 (pusu).
Might be cognate with 細い (hosoi, “slender, thin”), in reference to the thin size of a navel. Might also be cognate with Middle Korean ᄇᆡᆺ복 (poyspwok, “navel”, Korean 배꼽 (baekkop, “navel”)).

cog

Korean <i class="Kore mention" lang="ko">배꼽</i> (baekkop, “navel”)


葬

葬 (canonical)
sō (romanization)
sau (romanization)
さう (hiragana historical)

From Middle Chinese 葬 (tsangᴴ, “burial”).


苦

From Middle Chinese 苦 (khu^X, “suffering”).


肉

table
From Middle Chinese 肉 (MC nyuwk). Compare modern Hokkien 肉 (jio̍k / lio̍k), Teochew 肉 (ne̍k), or Hakka 肉 (ngiuk⁷).

鳥肉

meat of a bird, in particular meat of a chicken

(Christianity) refers to humans themselves, their world, and their sins, as opposed to their spirit

(theater, kabuki) short for 肉襦袢 (niku juban): flesh-toned undergarments worn by actors and shown when the character has to display their skin


良

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


葵

葵 (canonical)
aoi (romanization)
afufi (romanization)
あふひ (hiragana historical)

Asarum caulescens
Wikispecies:Asarum caulescens

(heraldry) A design of mon using the image of Asarum caulescens.


葵

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


葵

[ma̠mo̞ɾɯ̟ᵝ]

重光葵
Shigemitsu Mamoru
Mamoru Shigemitsu, Japanese diplomat


腸

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *wata.


腸

* [parawata] → [ɸarawata] → [harawata]. Compound of 腹 (hara, “stomach”) + 腸 (wata, “intestines”).


腸

腸 (canonical)
chō (romanization)
tyau (romanization)
ちやう (hiragana historical)

年頃の女性が自分の腸なんか見ていていいのだろうか

1993 December 15 [1990 March 25], Sasaki, Noriko, 動物のお医者さん (動物のお医者さん) [The Veterinarian], 36th edition, volume 3 (fiction), Tokyo: Hakusensha, page 19

Is it okay for a woman of marriageable age to stare at her own guts?

Toshigoro no josei ga jibun no chō nan ka miteite ii no darō ka


菊

菊 (canonical)
菊 (canonical)
kiku (romanization)

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


羽

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


羽

From Old Japanese.
May be cognate with 葉 (ha, “leaf”).

(archery) when a bow is strung, the distance between the grip and the serving (nocking point) on the bowstring


羽

(music) the fifth and highest note in the Chinese pentatonic scale


蒜

蒜 (canonical)
蒜 (canonical)
ninniku (romanization)

[ɲ̟ĩɲ̟ɲ̟ikɯ̟ᵝ]

Origin uncertain. There are two leading theories.
* Deriving ultimately from some compound and shift of 匂い (nioi, “smell, scent”) + 憎い (nikui, “hateful; bitter”). Possible progression:
:: ⟨nipopi₁⟩ + ⟨niku⟩ → */nipopi niku/ → */nipniku/ → /ninniku/
* Deriving as a shift in meaning from Buddhist term 忍辱 (ninniku, “patience, forbearance, forgiveness”). Apparently garlic was seen as stimulating, and as such it was a forbidden food and monks would have to forbear from eating it, possibly giving rise to use of the term as a euphemism.

行者葫

行者葫 ぎょうじゃにんにく


蘊

From Middle Chinese 蘊 (MC 'jun).
The Buddhist sense is a translation of Sanskrit स्कन्ध (skandha, “collection, grouping, heap”) or Pali khandha (“collection, heap”). See entry at 五蘊 (goun).


蘊

蘊 (canonical)
Osamu (romanization)
wosamu (romanization)
をさむ (hiragana historical)


WTO

ja-pos

ダブリュー-ティー-オー

WTO (canonical)
Daburyū-Tī-Ō (romanization)

世界貿易機関 世界貿易機関#Japanese

World Trade Organization
World Trade Organization#English

Synonym of 世界貿易機関 (Sekai Bōeki Kikan, “World Trade Organization”); the WTO


萌

Nominalization of 萌え (moe), the 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 萌(も)える (moeru, “to bud, sprout”).


蛍

[ho̞ta̠ɾɯ̟ᵝ]

From Old Japanese. Appears in the Man'yōshú, compiled some time after 759 CE. Ultimate derivation unknown.
* The initial ho element is almost certainly the ancient form of 火 (hi, “fire”), which appears as ho in compounds such as 炎 (honō, “flame”, originally from ho no ho) or 火屋 (hoya, “lamp chimney”).
* Various theories exist regarding the taru portion. This may be from classical verb 垂る (taru, “to hang down, to droop”, in reference to a firefly's posterior; modern form 垂れる (tareru)), or a vowel shift from verb 照る (teru, “to shine”).


蛍

From Middle Chinese 螢 (MC hweng, “firefly”).


舌

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *sita.


芝

Compound of し (shi, adjectival ending) + 様 (sama, “kind, type”). The sama changes to zama as an instance of rendaku (連濁). The kanji 芝 was used as an ateji, probably based on its on'yomi of shi.

compound

This is the nomenclature used in the grammar devised by 富士谷成章 (Fujitani Nariakira), a classical Japanese scholar and grammarian in the middle Edo period. Modern i adjectives still had the 終止形 (shūshikei, “terminal form”) ending in -shi in the mid-Edo period, hence Fujitani's description of these as the “shi-type” of adjective.

(grammar, obsolete) “shi-type”, referring to the i adjective in Japanese grammar, specifically the ク活用 (ku katsuyō, “ku inflection”), corresponding to modern Japanese adjectives ending in -i but not -shii


CD-ROM

CD-ROM (canonical)
shīdī-romu (romanization)

[ɕiːdʲiː ɾo̞mɯ̟ᵝ]


葛

葛 (canonical)
kazura (romanization)
kadura (romanization)
かづら (hiragana historical)

⟨kadura⟩ → /kad͡zuɾa/ → /kazuɾa/
From Old Japanese.

the hoop of a barrel or other cylindrical object


衵

(clothing) open-sleeved inner robe, worn as a middle layer in men's court dress

(clothing) an inner garment for page girls, sometimes worn on top


袿

open-sleeved robe worn over the 単衣 (hitoe). Women wore one layer in the summer, and between three and eight otherwise. Towards the end of the Heian period the number of uchiki layers was fixed at five.


襅

/tipaja/ → /t͡ɕifaja/ → /t͡ɕihaja/
First attested in the Wamyō Ruijushō (938 CE).
Probably related to verb 千早ぶ (chihayabu, “to move or act ferociously, with terrible godly power”), itself an alteration from 逸早ぶ (ichihayabu, “to move or act quickly and strongly”), deriving from adjective 逸早し (ichihayashi, “strong and fast; extremely fast”).

(Shinto) a kind of ceremonial overcoat with a long white hem worn by the sweeper or branch-holder in certain Shinto ceremonies

人形浄瑠璃 人形浄瑠璃#Japanese

(theater) a kind of sleeveless vest or waistcoat used in kabuki or 人形浄瑠璃 (ningyō jōruri, “puppet theater”)


藤

ja-noun

藤(ふじ) or 藤(フジ) • (fuji) ^(←ふぢ (fudi) or フヂ (fudi)?)

藤 (canonical)
藤 (canonical)
fuji (romanization)
fudi (romanization)
ふぢ (hiragana historical)
フヂ (hiragana historical)

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

(card games) the suit of Japanese wisteria in a hanafuda deck, representing the month of April


藤

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


藤

Possibly from 桂 (katsura, “katsura tree, Cercidiphyllum japonicum”).


裏

裏箔: the application of silk as a screen on metal foil

'underground' pornography showing uncensored genitals. Technically illegal in Japan.


袍

袍(ほう) • (hō)

round-collared skirted over-robe, worn as the outermost layer of court dress. Made of figured silk in winter, and silk-gauze in summer, and dyed according to the rank of the wearer.


蓮

Daijirin
Kyūjitai
Nelumbo nucifera
Shinjitai
Tōkyō
ja:ハス

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

(Buddhism, particularly Pure Land Buddhism) a lotus bloom in the realm of Sukhāvatī (“Land of Ultimate Bliss”), as an expression of reincarnation


蓮

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


蓮

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


観

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


裕

Nominalization of 豊か (yutaka, “abundant, plentiful”).


裕

Nominalization of classical adjective 広し (hiroshi), modern 広い (hiroi, “vast, wide”).


蛤

蛤 (canonical)
蛤 (canonical)
hamaguri (romanization)

From 浜 (hama, “beach”) + 栗 (kuri, “chestnut”).


藍

the Japanese indigo or Chinese indigo plant, Persicaria tinctoria


藍

ja-noun

藍(あい) or 藍(アイ) • (ai) ^(←あゐ (awi) or アヰ (awi)?)

藍 (canonical)
藍 (canonical)
ai (romanization)
awi (romanization)
あゐ (hiragana historical)
アヰ (hiragana historical)

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

藍蝋: indigo pigment made from boiled-down indigo dye liquid

the color indigo, from the dye processed from the stems and leaves of various indigo plants

Short for 藍蝋 (airō): indigo pigment made from boiled-down indigo dye liquid


藍

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


裘

Compound of 皮(かわ) (kawa, “skin”) + 衣(ころも) (koromo, “coat, robe”).


誉

誉 (canonical)
Takashi (romanization)
誉 (canonical)
Homare (romanization)


褶

pleated over-skirt worn over 袴 (hakama) (men) or 裳 (mo) (women) as part of Asuka period court dress, retained formally for men until the 8th century.


蓋

蓋 (canonical)
蓋 (canonical)
futa (romanization)

From Old Japanese. Used in the Man'yōshū of circa 759 CE to phonetically spell Mount Futagami as 蓋上山. In turn, from Proto-Japonic *pota.

箱のふた

ビンの蓋


茶

→ Ainu: チャ (ca)

→ Nivkh: ча (ț’a)

→ Yonaguni: サー (sa:)

From various lects of Middle Chinese 茶 (MC drae). Compare Mandarin 茶 (chá), Hakka 茶 (chhà), Cantonese 茶 (caa⁴).

tea (not used in isolation in modern Japanese)


袴

From Old Japanese. Attested in the Man'yōshū, completed some time after 759 CE.
Appears to be a compound deriving ultimately from 穿か (haka, the 未然形 (mizenkei, “incomplete form”) or a sound shift from some other conjugation of verb 穿く (haku, “to pull onto the lower body (such as trousers)”)) + 裳 (ma, “robes”, sound shift from expected reading mo).
The loincloth sense is attested earlier in the Nihon Shoki, finished in 720 CE. Other sources also cite the Nihon Shoki for the trousers sense, possibly suggesting confusion regarding the meaning of the term as used in that text.


袴

(historical, military): prior to World War II, the general term for trousers in the Imperial Japanese Army


蘭

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


紅

ja-pos

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

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

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


紅

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


紅

Alternative spelling for 赤 (aka, “red”).


紅

From 揉み (momi, “kneading”, stem form of verb momu), by extension from the kneading of cloth during the dyeing process.


紅

ja-pos

紅(こう) • (Kō)


袋

[ɸɯ̟̊ᵝkɯ̟ᵝɾo̞]

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE. From Proto-Japonic *pukoro.
Very likely related to 含む (fukumu, “to include”), also among others deriving from a root *puk- (e.g. 膨れる (fukureru, “to swell”)).

その女の子はお菓子の袋に手を突っ込んでいた

That girl had been going into the bag of candy and taking them

sono onna no ko wa okashi no fukuro ni te o tsukkonde ita

私たちで1袋のクッキーを分けた

watashitachi de ichi fukuro no kukkī o waketa


葉

葉 (canonical)
ha (romanization)
枚 (counter)

/pa/ → /ɸa/ → /ha/
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *pa.
Probably cognate with Old Japanese verb 生ゆ (hayu, “to sprout, to grow”) → modern 生える (haeru), and with 羽 (ha, “feather; wing”).
Suggested in some sources as possibly cognate with 歯 (ha, “tooth”) from the way that both sprout and then later fall, and with 刃 (ha, “blade”) from similarities in shape (cf. English blade). However, the pitch accent patterns are different; 葉 and 羽 are both unaccented, while 歯 and 刃 are both accented. This may reflect two disparate *pa roots in the ancient language.
First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE with the phonetic spelling 波.
Cognate with Okinawan 葉 (fā).


葉

葉 (canonical)
yō (romanization)
efu (romanization)
えふ (hiragana historical)

/epu/ → /efu/ → /eu/ → /joː/
From Middle Chinese 葉 (MC yep, “leaf”).

a season, an age: a shorter period of time within a longer one

an administration: the period of time during which a certain person holds a certain office


褌

→ English: fundoshi

[ɸɯ̟̃ᵝndo̞ɕi]

越中褌

越中褌 えっちゅうふんどし

西洋褌

西洋褌 せいようふんどし

六尺褌

六尺褌 ろくしゃくふんどし

湯文字: a kind of loincloth wrap used while bathing

a similar wrap worn historically by women under a kimono

人の褌で相撲を取る
hito no fundoshi de sumō o toru
live on someone’s expense
(literally, “wrestle in someone’s fundoshi”)

(sumo) a sumo wrestler's traditional apron


褌

(sumo) a sumo wrestler's belt, a mawashi


衝

ja-noun

衝(しょう) • (shō)


証

証(しょう) • (shō)

traditional Chinese medicine
traditional Chinese medicine


襪

(clothing) ankle-tied silk socks, worn by high nobles in formal court dress and priests.


蛙

蛙 (canonical)
kawazu (romanization)
kafadu (romanization)
かはづ (hiragana historical)

[ka̠ɰᵝa̠zɨᵝ]

⟨kapadu⟩ → */kapadu/ → /kafad͡zu/ → /kawad͡zu/ → /kawazu/
The more formal or poetic counterpart to kaeru (see above). Found in the Man'yōshū, completed some time after 759 CE.
The ultimate derivation is unclear, but the initial kawa portion (ancient kapa) is very likely 川, 河 (kawa, ancient kapa, “river”).
The phonetic development of the term had already progressed to kawadzu by 1603, as seen in the Nippo Jisho entry, spelled cauazzu.

a frog in a well does not know the great ocean

井の中の蛙大海を知らず: → metaphor of a narrow world view based on limited experience

(Noh theater) a specific mask used in certain Noh plays, depicting a drowned person


誓

誓 (canonical)
ukei (romanization)
ukefi (romanization)
うけひ (hiragana historical)

アマテラスとスサノオの誓約
Amaterasu to Susanoo no ukei
the oath of Amaterasu and Susanoo

(archaic, Shinto, Japanese mythology) an "oath", a ritual in which whether something is true or false, right or wrong, good or evil, etc. is judged based on whether the stated outcome of an act comes true as expected


譲

ja-pos

譲(じょう) • (Jō)


生

From Old Japanese. Numerous derivatives already in use in the Heian period.

生演奏


華

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

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


華

Kyūjitai
Old Japanese language
Proto-Japonic language
Shinjitai
Tōkyō
Ōsaka

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


諒

諒(りょう) • (Ryō)


花

Kyūjitai
Old Japanese language
Proto-Japonic language
Shinjitai

花が咲く頃

火山の近くに生息する草。花から火炎を吹き攻撃する。

1999 February 4, “火炎草 [Fire Grass]”, in Vol.1, Konami

A grass that grows near volcanoes. It breathes fire from its flowers.

Kazan no chikaku ni seisoku suru kusa. Hana kara kaen o fuki kōgeki suru.

汚染された土と闇の力で育てられた花。とても凶暴。

1999 March 1, “ダーク・プラント [Dark Plant]”, in BOOSTER 1, Konami

A flower that grows from polluted soil and dark powers. It is very nasty.

Osen sareta tsuchi to yami no chikara de sodaterareta hana. Totemo kyōbō.

光の届かない深淵にひっそりと咲く、あまり見かけない花。

1999 May 25, “深淵に咲く花 [The Flower That Blooms in the Abyss]”, in BOOSTER 2, Konami

A rarely seen flower that silently blooms in the depths of the abyss where the sun never shines.

Hikari no todokanai shin'en ni hissori to saku, amari mikakenai hana.

生けてある花から、花粉を飛ばし噛みついてくる生きている花瓶。

1999 July 5, “命ある花瓶 [Living Vase]”, in BOOSTER 3, Konami

A living vase that bites and releases pollen from its living flowers.

Iketearu hana kara, kafun o tobashi kamitsuitekuru ikiteiru kabin.


花

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

→ Amis: hana

→ Yami: hana

鏡花水月

metaphor for something that can be seen but not touched; flower in a mirror, moon in the water

石楠花

one of several species of rhododendron native to east Asia


血

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *ti.


袖

Kojiki
Kōjien
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Shinmura Izuru

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

袖付け

sleeve attachment; armhole; sodetsuke, the place where a sleeve attach


表

Ultimately from Old Japanese. Cognate with 面 (omote). Derived as a compound of 面 (omo, “face”) + 手 (te, “hand; direction, side”), basically meaning "face-wards; facing side".
The term omote in general is attested since the Nihon Shoki of 720. The 表 spelling for this word is attested from roughly 1000.
Cognate with Okinawan 表 (umuti).

(baseball) first half, top (of an inning)


虹

ja-pos

虹(こう) • (kō)


賢

賢(さとる) or 賢(まさる) or 賢(けん) • (Satoru or Masaru or Ken)

賢 (canonical)
賢 (canonical)
賢 (canonical)
Satoru (romanization)
Masaru (romanization)
Ken (romanization)


負

負の数

(mathematics) negativity, being negative (less than zero)

負の電荷

(physics) negativity, being negative (of electrical charge of an electron)


貢

[mʲit͡sɨᵝɡɯ̟ᵝ]

From the verb 貢ぐ (mitsugu, “to support, to finance”).


貢

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


貢

貢(こう) • (Kō)


豪

豪(ごう) • (Gō)


踵

ja-noun

踵(くびいす) • (kubiisu) ^(←くびひす (kubifisu)?)

踵 (canonical)
kubiisu (romanization)
kubifisu (romanization)
くびひす (hiragana historical)


踵

[kɯ̟ᵝbʲisɨᵝ]


親

親切

kindness, helpfulness, friendliness; kind, helpful


親

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *əya. Cognate with or derived from Old Japanese verb 老ゆ (oyu, “to become old”, modern 老いる oiru), from the idea of one's elders.
First cited in the Kojiki of 712.

the child doesn't know the parent's heart

親の心子知らず: → the child doesn't know the pain they cause their parents

a parent's bright light is seven bright lights

親の光は七光: → a parent's social standing can be a huge influence on a person as they come into adulthood

ぼくのほんとのおやはだれかしら。

1988 July 30 [1984 July 25], Fujiko Fujio, “世界名作童話第１巻, みにくいアヒルの子 [World’s Renowned Fairy Tales Book 1: The Ugly Duckling]”, in ポストの中の明日 [Post-Mid-Tomorrow] (藤子・F・不二雄のSF短編; 2), 10th edition, volume 2 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, page 112

the larger one of several objects of the same kind

(hanafuda, card games, by extension, board games) the dealer, (gambling) the banker


要

/kani no me/ → /kanome/ → /kaname/
A shift from older 蟹の目 (kani no me, “crab's eye”) from a superficial resemblance of the round pinhead of a folding fan to a crab's eye, influenced by a reanalysis of the term as 金目 (kaname, literally “metal” + visually prominent feature), as the pins were increasingly made from metal instead of earlier bamboo, wood, or whalebone.
First cited to 1220.

(architecture) in a certain kind of traditional Japanese hip roof where the rafters splay out like the spines of a fan, the central point to which the rafter lines converge


見

⟨mi₁⟩ → /mi/
From Old Japanese. Attested in the Man'yōshū, completed some time after 759 CE (see quotation below).
The 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 見(み)る (miru, “to see; to look at”). Ultimately cognate with 目 (ancient ma, modern me, “eye”).


見

From Middle Chinese 見 (MC kenH, “to see; to seem; opinion”).


言

From Middle Chinese 言 (MC ngjon, “speech”).


豚

豚 (canonical)
豚 (canonical)
buta (romanization)

Domestic pig
Muromachi period
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
ja:ブタ

First attested in the mid-Muromachi period, some time in the late 1480s.
Derivation ultimately unknown.
Some sources list possible theories:
* A shift from 太 (futo, “fatty (fat individual), fatness”)
*: The vowel shift and voicing required to go from futo to buta seem problematic, considering Japanese sound shift patterns.
* Cognate with Okinawan ぶたさん (butasan, “fat”).
* An onomatopoeia from the sound the animal makes, realized in Japanese as ブー (bū)
*: The final -ta remains unexplained.
* Some combination of the two above
* A shift from 猪太 (ibuto, literally “swine + fatty”)
*: Attestable online, but not found in Japanese etymological resources. Difficult to judge provenance or timing.
* A borrowing from Korean or Mongolian
*: Neither Korean 돼지 (dwaeji, “pig”) nor Mongolian гахай (gaxaj, “pig”) show any phonological resemblance to buta, ruling out these possibilities.
The word butakal appears in several languages of the Philippines with a sense of boar (male pig), suggesting a possible source. However, any connection with an Austronesian language is only speculation.
The kanji is from Chinese 豚 (tún, “suckling pig”). Compare Japanese 猪 (inoshishi, “boar”) from Chinese 猪 (zhū, “pig”) and Japanese 猿 (saru, “monkey”) from Chinese 猿 (yuán, “ape”).

赤菱さんのカードは８とＪのツーペア‥‥三矢さんはＡのスリーカード 雲間さんはＱのワンペア 緑川さんは役なし‥‥
Akabishi-san no kādo wa hachi to jakku no tsū-pea... Mitsuya-san wa ēsu no surī-kādo, Kumoma-san wa kuīn no wan-pea, Midorikawa-san wa buta...

2000 July 7 [2000 May 17], Seimaru Amagi with Sato, Fumiya, “FILE 1 殺人ポーカー Unlucky Men in the Rain 〈問題編〉 [FILE 1: Murderous Poker: Unlucky Men in the Rain ‹Problem›]”, in 明智警視の優雅なる事件簿 [Superintendent Akechi Elegant Case Files], 3rd edition (fiction), Tokyo: Kodansha

Akabishi-san’s hand would have a two pair, eights and jacks‥‥ Mitsuya-san’s a three of a kind, aces. Kumoma-san’s a one pair, queens. Midorikawa-san’s a high card...

ハイカード ハイカード#Japanese

(colloquial, poker) synonym of ハイカード (hai kādo, “high card”): a no pair, a hand without even a pair (probably a modification of the term for a zero-valued card hand)


角

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

入射角


遼

遼 (canonical)
Ryō (romanization)
reu (romanization)
れう (hiragana historical)


話

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *panas-.

何の話をしてるの？


透

透 (canonical)
Tōru (romanization)
透 (canonical)
Sukeru (romanization)


週

週 (canonical)
shū (romanization)
siu (romanization)
しう (hiragana historical)

/t͡ɕɨu/ → /ɕjɨu/ → /ɕuː/
From Middle Chinese 周 (MC tsyuw).


週

週 (canonical)
Shū (romanization)
siu (romanization)
しう (hiragana historical)


辺

/pen/ → /fen/ → /hen/
From Middle Chinese 邊 (MC pen, “edge; margin, border; nearby, vicinity”).

ltc-l

(geometry) the joining line between two vertices of a polygon; edge, [side]

(graph theory) any of the connected pairs of the vertices in a graph; edge


辻

辻 (canonical)
tsuji (romanization)
tuzi (romanization)
つじ (hiragana historical)

Daijisen
Extended shinjitai
Kyūjitai
Shinjitai
ja:松村明

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

Short for 辻総 (tsujibusa): (dated, equestrianism) a decoration attached to the martingale


鉧

spongiform crude iron made from iron sand with the use of the tatara craftsmanship


鉄

Borrowed from Middle Chinese 鐵 (MC thet, “iron”). Compare modern Mandarin reading tiě, Hakka thiet.

iron, the metal and the metallic chemical element


逆

ja-adj

逆(ぎゃく) • (gyaku) -na (adnominal 逆(ぎゃく)な (gyaku na), adverbial 逆(ぎゃく)に (gyaku ni))

逆 (canonical)
gyaku (romanization)
逆な (adnominal)
逆に (adverbial)
逆だろ (imperfective stem)
ぎゃくだろ (imperfective stem)
gyaku daro (imperfective)
逆で (continuative stem)
ぎゃくで (continuative stem)
gyaku de (continuative)
逆だ (stem terminative)
ぎゃくだ (stem terminative)
gyaku da (terminative)
逆な (attributive stem)
ぎゃくな (attributive stem)
gyaku na (attributive)
逆なら (hypothetical stem)
ぎゃくなら (hypothetical stem)
gyaku nara (hypothetical)
逆であれ (imperative stem)
ぎゃくであれ (imperative stem)
gyaku de are (imperative)
逆ではない (informal negative)
逆じゃない (informal negative)
ぎゃくではない (informal negative)
ぎゃくじゃない (informal negative)
gyaku de wa nai (informal negative)
gyaku ja nai (informal negative)
逆だった (informal past)
ぎゃくだった (informal past)
gyaku datta (informal past)
逆ではなかった (informal negative past)
逆じゃなかった (informal negative past)
ぎゃくではなかった (informal negative past)
ぎゃくじゃなかった (informal negative past)
gyaku de wa nakatta (informal negative past)
gyaku ja nakatta (informal negative past)
逆です (formal)
ぎゃくです (formal)
gyaku desu (formal)
逆ではありません (formal negative)
逆じゃありません (formal negative)
ぎゃくではありません (formal negative)
ぎゃくじゃありません (formal negative)
gyaku de wa arimasen (formal negative)
gyaku ja arimasen (formal negative)
逆でした (formal past)
ぎゃくでした (formal past)
gyaku deshita (formal past)
逆ではありませんでした (formal negative past)
逆じゃありませんでした (formal negative past)
ぎゃくではありませんでした (formal negative past)
ぎゃくじゃありませんでした (formal negative past)
gyaku de wa arimasen deshita (formal negative past)
gyaku ja arimasen deshita (formal negative past)
逆で (conjunctive)
ぎゃくで (conjunctive)
gyaku de (conjunctive)
逆なら（ば） (conditional)
ぎゃくなら（ば） (conditional)
gyaku nara (ba) (conditional)
逆だったら (conditional past)
ぎゃくだったら (conditional past)
gyaku dattara (conditional past)
逆だろう (volitional)
ぎゃくだろう (volitional)
gyaku darō (volitional)
逆に (adverbial)
ぎゃくに (adverbial)
gyaku ni (adverbial)
逆さ (noun-from-adj)
ぎゃくさ (noun-from-adj)
gyakusa (noun-from-adj)

ja-adj-infl

逆

. で は ありません でした

. じゃ ありません でした


鉢

From Sanskrit पात्र (pātra) through Middle Chinese 缽 (MC pat).


SM

[e̞sɨᵝe̞mɯ̟ᵝ]


辰

the dragon as the fifth sign in the Chinese zodiac

辰韓: the Jinhan confederacy: a twelve-member confederation

located on the southeast of the Korean peninsula during the proto-Three Kingdoms period

later absorbed into the growing Silla kingdom

辰刻: the hour of the dragon: 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM

辰刻法

a timekeeping method used during the Edo period, using six hours for the day and six for the night

mercury sulfide: a common ore of mercury

held at the houses of the wealthy in the hour of the dragon on the first day of the dragon after New Years

辰松

the name of a family of traditional Japanese puppeteer

辰松風: a men's hairstyle popular in the middle of the Edo period

popularized by a noted puppeteer of the Takamatsu family

辰星: alternate name for the planet Mercury

辰年

the year of the dragon under the Chinese zodiac

辰巳: between the dragon and the snake: around 9:00 AM on the clock

a woman from the Fukugawa red-light district in Edo

辰巳言葉

a slang or argot used by the prostitutes and geisha of the Fukugawa red-light district in Edo

辰巳調子

辰巳調子 たつみちょうし

shrill and loud of speech, crude and course of manner


辰

From the verb たつ (tatsu, “to get up, to take off”) (whence also 竜 (tatsu, “dragon”)), from the notion of a dragon flying.

the Dragon, the fifth of the twelve Earthly Branches


辰

辰の市

in the Yamato kingdom of ancient Japan, markets held every day of the dragon

辰の一点

the first 30 minute of the hour of the dragon

alternate name for 三月 (sangatsu, “the month of March”)


色

Chinese language
English language
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Nihon Shoki
Old Japanese language

⟨iro₂⟩ → */irə/ → /iro/
From Old Japanese.
First attested in the Nihon Shoki with the meaning of color. Senses referring to a person's emotions also appear quite early on. The romance or sex senses appear from the 900s, apparently an influence from Chinese usage, and roughly comparable to the euphemistic usage of English colorful.

色艶

color and luster; a person's facial coloring; warmth of feeling in speech or attitude; interest or fun in speech or writing

色褪せる

lose color, fade; fade, lose freshness, become old and musty

色物

a colored item, particularly cloth or clothing; a lively and colorful variety act

目の色が違う猫


色

Middle Chinese language
Sanskrit language

From Middle Chinese 色 (MC srik). The goon reading, so likely the initial borrowing.
The Buddhist sense is translation of Sanskrit रूप (rūpa, “outward appearance, color, form, shape”).

色彩

coloring, coloration, hue, tint; color, mood, influence, leaning

色紙

a square piece of cardboard used for painting or for writing poems

色調

the coloring of a thing; a tone, shade, or hue

舍利子。色不異空。空不異色。色即是空。空即是色。受想行識亦復如是。

7th century, Heart Sutra (translation by Xuanzang)

Sariputra, form is not different from emptiness; emptiness is not different from form. That which is form is empty; that which is emptiness is form. This is also true for sensation, perception, intention, and awareness.

Sharishi, shiki fu i kū, kū fu i shiki. Shiki soku ze kū, kū soku ze shiki. Ju-sō-gyō-shiki, yaku bu nyoze.

(Buddhism) material form, specifically the organized body as one of the five constituent elements or skandhas


色

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

三色刷り


鉋

table
Probably from Old Japanese. First attested in the early 900s.
Also encountered with the reading kana (see that section for further details).


鉋

table
Probably from Old Japanese. First attested in the late 800s.
Possibly originally a compound of 刈り (kari, “cutting, shearing, trimming”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 刈る (karu, “to cut, to shear, to trim”)) + な (na, “blade”, only attested in compounds). Compare the phonological development of 仮名 (kana) from older form karina.
/karina/ → /kanna/ → /kana/

compound

(woodworking tools, possibly dialect) a plane


辛

金 (Ka, “Metal”, one of the Five Elements) + の (no, attributive marker) + 弟 (oto, “younger brother”)


釵

From Middle Chinese 釵 (MC tsrhea). Compare modern Mandarin 釵／钗 (chāi, “hairpin; sai (weapon)”).
This character was originally used in Japanese to mean (ornamental) hairpin, and was read with a kun'yomi of kanzashi. The similarity in shape between a hairpin and the weapon called a sai later led to this character being used to refer to the weapon. In modern Japanese, this character is read primarily with its on'yomi of sai, and is used to refer to the weapon. The hairpin sense and kanzashi reading are more often spelled 簪.

(weaponry) a sai: a short blunt weapon with a wide guard, used mainly for defense against opponents armed with swords


錐

a pointy tool used to make holes, such as a drill, a gimlet, an auger or an awl


鉈

From Old Japanese 鉈 (nata). Appears in the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE.
Possibly related to Old Japanese な (na, “blade, edge”).
Possibly cognate with Korean 낫 (nat), Korean 나대 (nadae) of similar meanings as Japanese 鉈 (nata).

(sumo) a technique of bending one's elbow and attacking an opponent's throat or chest with one's forearm (so called for the way the bent-elbow arm shape resembles certain varieties of nata woodworking tools)


軍

/kʲun/ → /ɡun/
From Middle Chinese 軍 (MC kjun).

(historical, military) during the Zhou dynasty, an army of five 師 (shi, “divisions of 2500 soldiers”) totaling 12500 soldiers


語

日本語 ― nihongo ― Japanese

英語 ― eigo ― English

スペイン語 ― supeingo ― Spanish


語

語釈

explanation or explication of a word, term, phrase, or clause

語勢

stress, tone, or emphasis; a manner of speaking

語弊

a misleading expression; a misunderstanding

Short for 物語 (monogatari): story, tale, narrative


銃

銃 (canonical)
jū (romanization)
zyuu (romanization)
じゆう (hiragana historical)

銃を撃つ


銃

捧げ銃

かれこれするうちに昼時分になったが鹿らしいものも来ない、たちまち谷を一つ越えたすぐむこうの山の尾で銃の音がしたと思うと白い煙が見えた。

1898, Doppo Kunikida, Shikagari [Hunting Deer]

Karekore suru uchi ni hirujibun ni natta ga shika rashii mono mo konai, tachimachi tani o hitotsu koeta sugu mukō no yama no o de tsutsu no oto ga shita to omou to shiroi kemu ga mieta.


鎧

鎧 (canonical)
yoroi (romanization)
yorofi (romanization)
よろひ (hiragana historical)


鍛

鍛 (canonical)
Kitae (romanization)
kitafe (romanization)
きたへ (hiragana historical)

Nominalization of 鍛え (kitae, “forging”).


鉛

Perhaps related to Goguryeo 乃勿 (*namur). Compare Korean 납 (nap).


鋼

鋼のように硬い。


鋏

Originally the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 鋏む (hasamu, “to be tightly between two things, to be inserted in between””), itself apparently deriving from hasa (“narrowness between other things”, likely cognate with 細 hoso, “skinny, narrowness within the thing itself”) + auxiliary suffix む (mu, “to be or become like something”).
Cognate and homophonic with 挟, 挿 (hasami): “being stuck in between other things”.

空鋏

working a pair of scissors to make the sound of cutting, without actually cutting anything

木鋏

long shears for pruning, such as for a hedge

銀葉鋏

tweezers for holding silver leaf in traditional Japanese incense

唐鋏

western-style scissors, with a pivot in the center and forming an X shape

握り鋏

traditional Japanese shears, with a join at the back end and forming a U shape

鋏を入れる

to put the scissors in → to cut with scissors; to punch a ticket; to trim vegetation or hair

pincers or claws as found on a crab, lobster, or other arthropod

a punch as used to make a hole in a piece of paper


鋏

Probably originally an abbreviation of synonym yattokobasami, with the yattoko portion possibly an alteration of 焼き床 (yakidoko, “the cooking bed of an oven, or the firing bed of a kiln”, possibly formerly read as yakitoko, literally “burning or cooking bed”), perhaps used as a dialect word referring to the forge; compare 火床 (hidoko, “hearth; a firepit, such as beneath a boiler”, literally “fire bed”).

pincers, nippers, pliers, tongs, or grippers, specifically those used to hold a metal object being worked in blacksmithing


鋏

(rare) pincers, nippers, pliers, tongs, or grippers, more specifically those used to hold a metal object being worked in blacksmithing


鋏

鋏 (canonical)
kyō (romanization)
kefu (romanization)
けふ (hiragana historical)

/kepu/ → /keɸu/ → /keu/ → /kjoː/
From Middle Chinese 鋏／铗 (kiɛp, “tongs, pincers”). Compare modern Cantonese reading gaap³.

鋏角

chelicera, the mouthpart of certain arthropods such as spider


連

Old Japanese [Term?], from 村 (mura, “village”) + 主 (nushi, “chief”)

af

(historical) the second-lowest of the 八色の姓 (Yakusa no Kabane, “eight hereditary titles promulgated by Emperor Tenmu”)


鑢

鑢 (canonical)
鑢 (canonical)
yasuri (romanization)


鋸

鋸 (canonical)
鋸 (canonical)
nokogiri (romanization)

頭のノコギリの他に、腕もノコギリになっているクワガタ。

2000 June 23, “インセクション [Insection]”, in Booster R1, Konami

In addition to the saw on its head, a stag beetle also has saws on its arms.

Atama no nokogiri no hoka ni, ude mo nokogiri ni natte iru kuwagata.


錨

Derivation ultimately unknown. Possibly cognate with or derived from Old Japanese 海石 (ikuri, “sea rock, outcrop at sea”).
Appears in the Harima Fudoki of 715 CE.
Reconstructed as deriving from Proto-Japonic *ikari.

inh

(nautical) an anchor (tool to moor a vessel into the sea bottom)


錨

錨 (canonical)
byō (romanization)
beu (romanization)
べう (hiragana historical)

/beu/ → */bɨəː/ → /bjoː/
From Middle Chinese 錨 (MC *mˠiᴇu).


鐃

鐃 (canonical)
nyō (romanization)
neu (romanization)
ねう (hiragana historical)

in ancient China, a gong used in the army to signal the drumming to stop

(Buddhism) a kind of gong used at Buddhist temples


鐃

鐃 (canonical)
dō (romanization)
dau (romanization)
だう (hiragana historical)


錦

Originally a compound of 丹 (ni, “red”) + 頻 (shiki, “repetition”).

brocade (generic name for weaving fabrics with various colored threads)


銅

ja-noun

銅(どう) • (dō)

From Middle Chinese 銅 (MC duwng). Compare modern Min Nan reading tông, Wu don, Xiang dong².


銅

Compound of 赤 (aka, “red”) + 金 (kane, “metal”). The kane changes to gane as an instance of rendaku (連濁).
First cited to the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE.


鈴

Kagura suzu
Kojiki
Man'yōshū
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Suzu

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

女の目には鈴を張れ

otoko no me ni wa ito o hike, onna no me ni wa suzu o hare

神楽鈴

three-tier set of bells on a rod used in kagura dances

鐸: a large wind chime, a hanging bell with a clapper


酸

石炭酸

phenol (caustic compound derived from benzene)


鑑

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


鍋

→ Indonesian: nabe

→ Korean: 냄비 (naembi, “pan, saucepan; pot”)

→ Sakizaya: nabi

Daijisen#Online_search_engines
Kōjien
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Nihon Shoki
Shinmura Izuru

⟨nabe₂⟩ → */naⁿbe/ → /nabe/
From Old Japanese, first cited in the Nihon Shoki of 720. In turn, reconstructed as Proto-Japonic *nanpay.
Originally a compound of Old Japanese elements 肴 (na, “small snack, hors d'oeuvre”) + 瓮 (pe, modern he, “a pot or pan for holding food or beverages”). The he changes to be as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

compound

⇒ 鍋料理 (nabe ryōri)

⇒ 鍋物 (nabemono)

short for 鍋料理 (nabe ryōri, literally “pot + cooking”) or 鍋物 (nabemono, literally “pot + thing”), a dish where everything is cooked together in a nabe; compare English hot pot or hotdish

鍋料理

(historical, slang) by further extension from the sense of maidservant: a woman (in reference to sex)

(historical, slang, archaic) during the late Edo period, a 搗米屋 (tsukigomeya, “rice polisher shop, white rice retailer”) who has run out of stock


過

過 (canonical)
ka- (romanization)
kwa (romanization)
くわ (hiragana historical)


里

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


里

里 (canonical)
Satoshi (romanization)
里 (canonical)
Zato (romanization)

Various nanori readings. Perhaps the satoshi reading is from 聡い (satoi, “clever”, from earlier satoshi), while the zato is a voiced rendaku (連濁) version of sato above.


閂

ja-noun

閂(かんぬき) • (kannuki) ^(←くわんぬき (kwannuki)?)

閂 (canonical)
kannuki (romanization)
kwannuki (romanization)
くわんぬき (hiragana historical)

[kã̠nːɯ̟ᵝkʲi]

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

(sumo) a grip in which one wrestler wraps his arms around both of his opponent’s arms and squeezes them together to maneuver the opponent for a kimedashi or kimetaoshi, or to weaken the opponent’s grip on the mawashi; a type of armbar


隹

[ɸɯ̟ᵝɾɯ̟ᵝto̞ɾʲi]


隹

the name of the "old bird" radical (隹), e.g. 隺


闇

From Middle Chinese 闇 (MC 'omH, “dark”).

(Buddhism) darkness, as a metaphor for worldly desires


都

→ English: Meaco (“Kyōto”)

→ Latin: Meacum (“Kyōto”)

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

ja-com

(archaic) the place of residence of the emperor

(by extension) a capital (most important city in the field specified)

(shogi, colloquial) Short for 都詰め (miyakozume): moving the 王将 (ōshō)/玉将 (gyokushō, “king”) to the center of the board with other pieces close together


都

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

Short for 東京都 (Tōkyō-to): the capital prefecture of Tokyo


鞆

A protective equipment for Japanese archery, similar as a wristband, equipped on inner side of left hand.


針

⟨pari⟩ → /ɸaɾi/ → /haɾi/
From Old Japanese.

any slender, pointed object resembling or similar in use to a needle:

時計の針は３時を指しています。

The clock's hand is pointing to 3 o'clock.

(by extension) a hand or pointer (in clocks, watches, meters, compasses, etc.)


隆

ja-pos

隆(りゅう) • (Ryū)

隆 (canonical)
隆 (canonical)
Takashi (romanization)
Yutaka (romanization)
隆 (canonical)
Ryū (romanization)


靫

靫 (canonical)
utsubo (romanization)
うつお (alternative hiragana)
utsuo (Rōmaji)
うつほ (hiragana historical)

[ɯ̟ᵝt͡sɨᵝbo̞]

[ɯ̟ᵝt͡sɨᵝo̞]


鞦

Dated form of 尻繋.


霰

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *arare.


静

静 (canonical)
jō (romanization)
zyau (romanization)
じやう (hiragana historical)

table
/d͡ʑʲau/ → /d͡ʑɔː/ → /d͡ʑoː/
From Middle Chinese 靜 (MC dzjengX). The goon, so an earlier borrowing than the sei reading.
First attested as a standalone noun in a text from roughly 1216.

(Buddhism) equanimity, upekkhā, a state untroubled by attachment or aversion


鞄

→ Hokkien: kha-báng

→ Korean: 가방 (gabang)

Possibly derived from Chinese 夾板／夹板 (jiābǎn) or 夾槾／夹槾 (jiāmàn, “boards for pressing or holding things together”), modern Min Nan reading kiap-pán. Another proposed etymology is Dutch Dutch kabas (“bag”), likely introduced through the Japanese-Dutch trade during the Edo period.
The original meaning of the kanji 鞄 referred to tanned leather or a tanner who produces such material. The native reading (kun'yomi) kaban only appears from the Meiji period (1868–1912).
First attested with this reading to a work from 1877; over the period of roughly 1877–1887, this word grew in popularity and displaced the previous term 胴乱 (dōran, “satchel”).

さあ でかけよう ひときれのパン ナイフ ランプ かばんにつめこんで

1986, “Kimi o Nosete [Carrying You]”, Hayao Miyazaki (lyrics), Joe Hisaishi (music), performed by Azumi Inoue

Let’s set out [on a journey with] a slice of bread, knife, [and] lamp, [all] stuffed in your bag.

Sā, dekakeyō, hitokire no pan, naifu, ranpu, kaban ni tsumekonde

a bag, satchel, briefcase, or handbag (often made of leather or canvas)


飜

ロン。20符4飜なので、5200です。


閃

/ɕʲem/ → /ɕemu/ → /seɴ/
From Middle Chinese 閃 (MC syemX|syemH).


靖

From verb 図る (hakaru, “to intend, to plan, to set a goal or direction”).


靖

Nominalization of kiyoshi, the pre-modern terminal form (終止形 (shūshikei)) of adjective 清い (kiyoi, “clean, pure”).


靖

Nominalization of verb のぶ (nobu, “延ぶ, 伸ぶ: to grow, to extend”).


靖

Nominalization of verb 治む (osamu, “to make something calm, to stabilize”).


靖

Nominalization of adjective 静か (shizuka, “calm, quiet”).


靖

Probably from 政治 (seiji, “politics”), from the underlying idea of "calming or stabilizing a country", similar to the name Osamu.


靖

Nominalization of verb 静む (shizumu, “to become quiet, to become settled”).


靖

Stem form of adjective 安い (yasui, “peaceful, calm, easygoing”).


靖

From 休み (yasumi, “a rest, a break, a vacation”), the stem noun form of verb 休む (yasumu, “to rest, to take a break, to take a vacation”), from adjective 安い (yasui, “peaceful, calm, easygoing”) + auxiliary verb む (mu, “to become [adjective], to make something [adjective]”).


靖

Nominalization of yasushi, the pre-modern terminal form (終止形 (shūshikei)) of adjective 安い (yasui, “peaceful, calm, easygoing”).


顆

顆 (canonical)
-ka (romanization)
kwa (romanization)
くゎ (hiragana historical)

indicates small round things, such as gemstones, fruit, stones, tears


鞴

鞴 (canonical)
fuigō (romanization)
fuigau (romanization)
ふいがう (hiragana historical)


鞴

ja-noun

鞴(ふきがわ) • (fukigawa) ^(←ふきがは (fukigafa)?)

鞴 (canonical)
fukigawa (romanization)
fukigafa (romanization)
ふきがは (hiragana historical)

[ɸɯ̟ᵝkʲiɡa̠ɰᵝa̠]

Compound of 吹 (fuki, “blowing”) + 革 (kawa, “leather”).


霞

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


飴

飴 (canonical)
飴 (canonical)
ame (romanization)


頬

Extended shinjitai
Heian period
Wamyō Ruijushō

/popo/ → /fofo/ → /hoho/
From Old Japanese. Appears in the mid-Heian period dictionary Wamyō Ruijushō (938 CE).


頬

頬 (canonical)
hō (romanization)
fofo (romanization)
ほほ (hiragana historical)

[ho̞ho̞] → [ho̞ː]
Derived from hoho above.


韻

韻 (canonical)
in (romanization)
ゐん (hiragana historical)

(phonetics) a rhyme group in Chinese rhyme dictionaries, consisting of kanji sharing the same or similar finals


雌

雌 (canonical)
雌 (canonical)
mesu (romanization)

First cited to 1867.
The initial me- is the same me component seen in many terms referring to senses of "female". The final -su portion is of uncertain derivation.
The kanji as used originally in Chinese and in older Japanese with the on'yomi of shi referred more specifically to female birds. If the term mesu is much older than the 1800s, the final -su portion may be the ancient morpheme that appears in various names for types of bird, such as 烏 (karasu, “crow”) or 鶯 (uguisu, “bush warbler”).

雌黒豹紋

the Argynnis sagana, a type of butterfly


雌

Appears in the Kojiki of 712 CE.
From Old Japanese 女 (me, “woman”). This spelling is used exclusively for non-human contexts.


雌

First cited to 1839.
/me no/ → /men/
From fusion of 雌 (me, “female plant or animal”) + の (no, “possessive particle”).


雹

ja-noun

雹(ひょう) • (hyō)


餌

餌 (canonical)
esa (romanization)
wesa (romanization)
ゑさ (hiragana historical)

餌箱

the feed tray of an animal, a feed trough, a feed box; a bait box

犬に毎日餌を上げて下さい。

トンビにエサをあたえないでください。
Tonbi ni esa o ataenaide kudasai.
Please do not feed the black kites.

literally, “Please do not give food to the black kites.”


餌

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


行

行 (canonical)
gyō (romanization)
gyau (romanization)
ぎやう (hiragana historical)

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

(calligraphy) Abbreviation of 行書 (“semi-cursive script”).

(Buddhism) saṅkhāra: formations, mental activity; one of the 五蘊 (goun, “five skandhas”)

(Buddhism) caryā: austerities; practice or discipline for enlightenment

(Buddhism) gamana: manner of going forward or walking


行

ja-pos

行(ぎょう) • (Gyō)


行

行(こう) • (Kō)

From Middle Chinese 行 (MC hang|haeng|hangH|haengH). First cited to 1275.
The kan'on pronunciation, so likely the later borrowing.


行

行(あきら) or 行(すすむ) or 行(とおる) or 行(まこと) • (Akira or Susumu or Tōru or Makoto)

行 (canonical)
行 (canonical)
行 (canonical)
行 (canonical)
Akira (romanization)
Susumu (romanization)
Tōru (romanization)
Makoto (romanization)


行

行(あん) or 行(いく) or 行(いたる) or 行(ゆくえ) • (An or Iku or Itaru or Yukue)

行 (canonical)
行 (canonical)
行 (canonical)
行 (canonical)
An (romanization)
Iku (romanization)
Itaru (romanization)
Yukue (romanization)


行

行(つとむ) or 行(つよし) • (Tsutomu or Tsuyoshi)

行 (canonical)
行 (canonical)
Tsutomu (romanization)
Tsuyoshi (romanization)


AI

artificial intelligence
artificial intelligence#English

Synonym of 人工知能 (jinkō chinō, “artificial intelligence”); AI


駅

→ Taroko: eki

→ Atayal: eki'

From Chinese 驛／驿 (yì, “relay station (a place for changing horses in pre-modern times)”).


駅

(dialect, Ibaraki) station (train, underground/subway)


銀

Hokkien language
Middle Chinese language

From Middle Chinese 銀 (MC ngin). Compare modern Hokkien reading gîn.

(shogi) Short for 銀将 (ginshō): a silver general

(sports, etc.) Short for 銀メダル (gin medaru): a silver medal


髪

Japanese shinjitai. Simplified from 髮 (犮 → 友).

前髪

bangs, fringe, hair in front of the forehead


項

項 (canonical)
kō (romanization)
kau (romanization)
かう (hiragana historical)


駒

Compound of 子(こ) (ko, “child”) + 馬(ま) (ma, “horse”).
See also 子馬(こうま) (kōma).

ポーンは一歩斜めにある駒を取ることができます。

2013, Habu Yoshiharu: Shōgi-shi o nuri-kaeta otoko [Yoshiharu Habu: The man who changed the face of shogi history], page 88

A pawn can take a piece that is one step away diagonally.

Pōn wa ippo naname ni aru koma o toru koto ga dekimasu.

(music) bridge (the piece, on string instruments, that supports the strings from the sounding board)


陸

ja-adj

陸(ろく) • (roku) -na (adnominal 陸(ろく)な (roku na), adverbial 陸(ろく)に (roku ni))

陸 (canonical)
roku (romanization)
陸な (adnominal)
陸に (adverbial)
陸だろ (imperfective stem)
ろくだろ (imperfective stem)
roku daro (imperfective)
陸で (continuative stem)
ろくで (continuative stem)
roku de (continuative)
陸だ (stem terminative)
ろくだ (stem terminative)
roku da (terminative)
陸な (attributive stem)
ろくな (attributive stem)
roku na (attributive)
陸なら (hypothetical stem)
ろくなら (hypothetical stem)
roku nara (hypothetical)
陸であれ (imperative stem)
ろくであれ (imperative stem)
roku de are (imperative)
陸ではない (informal negative)
陸じゃない (informal negative)
ろくではない (informal negative)
ろくじゃない (informal negative)
roku de wa nai (informal negative)
roku ja nai (informal negative)
陸だった (informal past)
ろくだった (informal past)
roku datta (informal past)
陸ではなかった (informal negative past)
陸じゃなかった (informal negative past)
ろくではなかった (informal negative past)
ろくじゃなかった (informal negative past)
roku de wa nakatta (informal negative past)
roku ja nakatta (informal negative past)
陸です (formal)
ろくです (formal)
roku desu (formal)
陸ではありません (formal negative)
陸じゃありません (formal negative)
ろくではありません (formal negative)
ろくじゃありません (formal negative)
roku de wa arimasen (formal negative)
roku ja arimasen (formal negative)
陸でした (formal past)
ろくでした (formal past)
roku deshita (formal past)
陸ではありませんでした (formal negative past)
陸じゃありませんでした (formal negative past)
ろくではありませんでした (formal negative past)
ろくじゃありませんでした (formal negative past)
roku de wa arimasen deshita (formal negative past)
roku ja arimasen deshita (formal negative past)
陸で (conjunctive)
ろくで (conjunctive)
roku de (conjunctive)
陸なら（ば） (conditional)
ろくなら（ば） (conditional)
roku nara (ba) (conditional)
陸だったら (conditional past)
ろくだったら (conditional past)
roku dattara (conditional past)
陸だろう (volitional)
ろくだろう (volitional)
roku darō (volitional)
陸に (adverbial)
ろくに (adverbial)
roku ni (adverbial)
陸さ (noun-from-adj)
ろくさ (noun-from-adj)
rokusa (noun-from-adj)

ja-adj-infl

陸

. で は ありません でした

. じゃ ありません でした

Originally referred to "flat" in reference to flat land, in turn the core meaning of the kanji character.
The alternative 碌 spelling is an example of ateji.
First attested in the 羅葡日辞書 (Ra-Ho-Nichi Jisho, “Latin-Portuguese-Japanese Dictionary”) of 1595.

Rocuna michi.

1603, 日葡辞書 [Nippo Jisho, Japanese-Portuguese Dictionary], page 212


陸

Substitute spelling for 六 (roku, “six”), likely borrowed from similar usage of written Chinese 陸／陆 (“six”).

(financial, archaic) the number six, 6 (used only in legal documents, otherwise 六)


鬘

鬘 (canonical)
kazura (romanization)
kadura (romanization)
かづら (hiragana historical)

五十日鬘

五十日鬘 ごじゅうにちかずら

百日鬘

百日鬘 ひゃくにちかずら


鏡

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

com

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

alcove behind the curtain and affixed with a mirror for player to check their appearance

鏡板

panel that forms the back wall of a noh stage and is traditionally painted with a picture of an old pine tree

鏡の松

a painting of an old pine tree on the kagami ita that forms the back wall of a noh stage

鏡の御影

a depiction of a round window through which can be seen god, spirit, or Buddha

ます鏡

真澄の鏡 (ma-sumi no kagami, “clear mirror”)

鏡が曇ると魂が曇る

if the looking glass is cloudy, so too is one's soul → (particularly regarding women) one's appearance is a reflection of one's psyche, and a disordered appearance indicates a disordered mind

鏡は容貌を見せ酒は心を現す

kagami wa katachi o mise, sake wa kokoro o arawasu

a mirror shows one's appearance; alcohol brings out one's true thoughts → a metaphor for how drinking can lead to freer expression of what one really thinks

鏡に掛く

show in a mirror → extremely clear, extremely certain: as clear as day

鏡を掛く

hang a mirror → to know something in detail as if looking at it in a mirror: to know something like the back of one's hand, to know something inside and out

(theater) Short for 鏡板 (kagami ita): the panel at the back of a noh stage that is painted with an image of an old pine tree


鏡

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

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


陰

/hoto₂/: *[potə] → [ɸoto] → [hoto]. As indicated in the Wamyōshō citation, /to₂/ may be related to 処 (/to₁/, “place, location”), but the phonological difference can not be explained. Perhaps related to Korean 보지 (boji, “vagina”).

712, Kojiki
因生此子、美蕃登此三字以音。見灸而病臥在。

712, Kojiki
逆剥天斑馬剥而、所墮入時、天服織女見驚而、於梭衝陰上而死。訓陰上云富登。


類

(taxonomy) a conventional grouping that corresponds to a class or an order


鯤

(Chinese mythology) a mythological giant fish that is several thousand 里 (ri, “leagues”) long and that lives in the northern seas


鯖

鯖 (canonical)
鯖 (canonical)
saba (romanization)

Abbreviation and punning of サーバー (sābā, “server”), ultimately from English server. This kanji is an ateji (当て字).


道

道 (canonical)
dō (romanization)
dau (romanization)
だう (hiragana historical)

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

Feudal Japan was divided into several dō; the only remaining dō is Hokkaidō.

(chiefly historical) a region of Japan consisting of multiple provinces or prefectures


道

ja-pos

道(おさむ) or 道(すすむ) or 道(ただし) or 道(ただす) or 道(なおし) or 道(まこと) or 道(みちひろ) or 道(もとい) or 道(わたる) • (Osamu or Susumu or Tadashi or Tadasu or Naoshi or Makoto or Michihiro or Motoi or Wataru)

道 (canonical)
道 (canonical)
道 (canonical)
道 (canonical)
道 (canonical)
道 (canonical)
道 (canonical)
道 (canonical)
道 (canonical)
Osamu (romanization)
Susumu (romanization)
Tadashi (romanization)
Tadasu (romanization)
Naoshi (romanization)
Makoto (romanization)
Michihiro (romanization)
Motoi (romanization)
Wataru (romanization)


道

道(たお) or 道(とおる) or 道(ふみ) • (Tao or Tōru or Fumi)

道 (canonical)
道 (canonical)
道 (canonical)
or Tōru (Tao)
Fumi (Tao)


鬥

ja-noun

鬥(たたかいがまえ) or 鬥(とうがまえ) • (tatakaigamae or tōgamae)

鬥 (canonical)
鬥 (canonical)
tatakaigamae (romanization)
tōgamae (romanization)


鴎

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


鯱

鯱 (canonical)
鯱 (canonical)
shachi (romanization)

(Japanese mythology) a shachihoko, a carp with the head of a tiger


鯱

Japanese pinecone fish
Japanese pinecone fish


魄

魂は心…つまり魂だ。そして魄は体を動かす力…

2004 June 15, Rumiko Takahashi, “第１話 試作 [Chapter 1: Prototypes]”, in 犬夜叉 (犬夜叉) [Inuyasha], volume 35 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, page 8

Kon is the heart… in other words, the soul. And haku is the force that moves the body…

Kon wa kokoro… Tsumari tamashī da. Soshite haku wa karada o ugokasu chikara…

魄ってやつがあれば、魂のない死骸でも動くんだな。

As long as it has this haku thing, even a soulless corpse can move.

Haku tte yatsu ga areba, tamashī no nai shigai de mo ugoku n da na.

(religion, folklore) po (haku), the soul which does not leave the body after death, compared to hun (kon) which does.


鬱

鬱を克服する


鵬

鵬 (canonical)
鵬 (canonical)
hō (romanization)
bō (romanization)

Kyūjitai
Peng (mythology)
Shinjitai
Tōkyō
ja:鵬

(Chinese mythology) peng: a fabled large bird thought to have wings measuring 3,000 li and can soar up to 90,000 li

鯤鵬

kun and peng → something extremely large


鵬

ja-pos

鵬(ほう) • (Hō)


鷲

鷲 (canonical)
鷲 (canonical)
washi (romanization)

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *wasi.

荒鷲 (arawashi)

若鷲 (wakawashi)

海鷲 (umiwashi)

(figurative, historical, Empire of Japan) aviator


金

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE with the phonetic man'yōgana spelling of 迦那 ⟨kana⟩. Appears to be the older form of this word. In modern Japanese, only found at the start of compounds.


金

Kojiki
Old Japanese language
Proto-Japonic language

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *kanay. First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE with the phonetic man'yōgana spelling of 加尼 ⟨kane⟩.
The four kanji spellings of this term, 金 (“gold”), 銀 (“silver”), 銅 (“copper”), and 鉄 (“iron”), hint at the importance of each of these four metals in ancient Japan.

⇒ お金 (okane)


金

/kuɡane/ → /koɡane/
Alteration of kugane, possibly influenced by metaphor from 小金 (kogane, “a small amount of money”), or by the kan'on reading of kō for the 黄 character.

⇒ 金泥 (kondei)

short for 黄金の泥 (kogane no dei, “golden mud”, gold dust suspended in an emulsion and used for painting or other decoration)


金

Mandarin language
Middle Chinese language

From Middle Chinese 金 (kim). Compare modern Mandarin 金 (jīn).

上金: tribute paid by general commoner to daimyō in feudal Japan

換金

realization or conversion of goods into money, such as to cash a check

借入金

borrowed money, debt payable, loan payable

金一封をもらった。

(shogi) short for 金将 (kinshō): the gold general (a shogi piece)


鼈

鼈 (canonical)
鼈 (canonical)
suppon (romanization)

[sɨ̥ᵝp̚põ̞ɴ]

Unknown, theories include:
# Shift from スホン (suhon), the sound when it jumps into a river:
#: /sufon/ → /suppon/
# Corruption of 朱盆 (shubon, literally “vermillion tray”), from the resemblance of its shell:
#: /ɕubon/ → /ɕuppon/ → /suppon/

月と鼈

the moon and suppon (seem alike but are different) → like chalk and cheese

(theater) in kabuki, a trapdoor located on the 花道 (hanamichi, “walkway through the audience to the stage”)

(nautical) a bilge pump used on a 和船 (wasen, “traditional Japanese ship”)


龗

⟨okami₁⟩ → */okamʲi/ → /okami/
From Old Japanese.

, text here
吾岡之於可美尓言而令落雪之摧之彼所尓塵家武 [Man'yōgana]
我が岡のおかみに言ひて降らしめし雪のくだけしそこに散りけむ [Modern spelling]

waga oka no okami ni iite furashimeshi yuki no kudakeshi soko ni chirikemu

(Japanese mythology) a dragon kami of water (rain, snow, etc.)


FX

FX (canonical)
efu-ekkusu (romanization)

[e̞ɸɯ̟ᵝe̞k̚kɯ̟ᵝsɨᵝ]

外国為替

外国為替 がいこくかわせ


黄

ja-adj

黄(き) • (ki) -na (adnominal 黄(き)な (ki na), adverbial 黄(き)に (ki ni))

黄 (canonical)
ki (romanization)
黄な (adnominal)
黄に (adverbial)
黄だろ (imperfective stem)
きだろ (imperfective stem)
ki daro (imperfective)
黄で (continuative stem)
きで (continuative stem)
ki de (continuative)
黄だ (stem terminative)
きだ (stem terminative)
ki da (terminative)
黄な (attributive stem)
きな (attributive stem)
ki na (attributive)
黄なら (hypothetical stem)
きなら (hypothetical stem)
ki nara (hypothetical)
黄であれ (imperative stem)
きであれ (imperative stem)
ki de are (imperative)
黄ではない (informal negative)
黄じゃない (informal negative)
きではない (informal negative)
きじゃない (informal negative)
ki de wa nai (informal negative)
ki ja nai (informal negative)
黄だった (informal past)
きだった (informal past)
ki datta (informal past)
黄ではなかった (informal negative past)
黄じゃなかった (informal negative past)
きではなかった (informal negative past)
きじゃなかった (informal negative past)
ki de wa nakatta (informal negative past)
ki ja nakatta (informal negative past)
黄です (formal)
きです (formal)
ki desu (formal)
黄ではありません (formal negative)
黄じゃありません (formal negative)
きではありません (formal negative)
きじゃありません (formal negative)
ki de wa arimasen (formal negative)
ki ja arimasen (formal negative)
黄でした (formal past)
きでした (formal past)
ki deshita (formal past)
黄ではありませんでした (formal negative past)
黄じゃありませんでした (formal negative past)
きではありませんでした (formal negative past)
きじゃありませんでした (formal negative past)
ki de wa arimasen deshita (formal negative past)
ki ja arimasen deshita (formal negative past)
黄で (conjunctive)
きで (conjunctive)
ki de (conjunctive)
黄なら（ば） (conditional)
きなら（ば） (conditional)
ki nara (ba) (conditional)
黄だったら (conditional past)
きだったら (conditional past)
ki dattara (conditional past)
黄だろう (volitional)
きだろう (volitional)
ki darō (volitional)
黄に (adverbial)
きに (adverbial)
ki ni (adverbial)
黄さ (noun-from-adj)
きさ (noun-from-adj)
kisa (noun-from-adj)
黃なら (irrealis stem)
きなら (irrealis stem)
kinara (irrealis)
黃に (continuative stem)
黃なり (continuative stem)
きに (continuative stem)
きなり (continuative stem)
kini (continuative)
kinari (continuative)
黃なり (stem terminative)
きなり (stem terminative)
kinari (terminative)
黃なる (attributive stem)
きなる (attributive stem)
kinaru (attributive)
黃なれ (realis stem)
きなれ (realis stem)
kinare (realis)
黃なれ (imperative stem)
きなれ (imperative stem)
kinare (imperative)
黃ならず (negative)
きならず (negative)
kinarazu (negative)
黃なれど (contrastive)
きなれど (contrastive)
kinaredo (contrastive)
黃なれば (causative)
きなれば (causative)
kinareba (causative)
黃ならば (conditional)
きならば (conditional)
kinaraba (conditional)
黃なりき (past)
きなりき (past)
kinariki (past)
黃なりけり (past)
きなりけり (past)
kinarikeri (past)
黃に (adverbial)
きに (adverbial)
kini (adverbial)

ja-adj-infl

黄

. で は ありません でした

. じゃ ありません でした


黄

黄 (canonical)
kō (romanization)
kwau (romanization)
くわう (hiragana historical)

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