西

西と言うたら東を悟れ

what is called in the west is realized in the east → necessary to understand the back as well as the front

西と言えば東と言う

if they say West, say East → tell the opposite thing every time

西も東も分からない

cannot tell east from west → cannot be understood at all

犬が西向きゃ尾は東

dog faces west while its tail points east → clearly obvious

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

西向く侍 → 二四六九士

westward-facing samurai → mnemonic for months with less than 31 days, with 士 standing for 十一

the left side of the stage in the Edo-style

the right side of the stage in Kyoto and Osaka styles


西

(Buddhism) Synonym of 西方浄土 (Saihō Jōdo): the western paradise of Amitabha Buddha

西方浄土

(Buddhism) Short for 西本願寺 (Nishi Hongan-ji): a Buddhist temple in Kyoto


UFO

Orthographic borrowing from English UFO, but pronounced like an acronym rather than a mere initialism.

未確認飛行物体 未確認飛行物体#Japanese

unidentified flying object
unidentified flying object

Synonym of 未確認飛行物体 (mikakunin hikō buttai, “unidentified flying object”); a UFO


月

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

(tarot) the Moon, the eighteenth trump or major arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks


愛

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


青

Unknown. The reading might be an obscure term from Old Japanese or dialect. The use of the character 青 arises from its 宋音(そうおん) (sōon, “Song-dynasty pronunciation”).

ja-r

(rare, archaic, mythology) a beast that looks like a weasel, and is said to have lived in present-day Fukuoka and Yamaguchi prefectures

(rare, archaic, mythology) a beast that looks like a wolf, and is said to have appeared around Mount Yoshino


安心

安心 (canonical)
anshin (romanization)
安心 (canonical)
anjin (romanization)

From Middle Chinese compound 安心 (*ʔan *sim). Compare modern Chinese 安心 (ānxīn).

安心決定: chanting the name of Buddha with purity of heart and mind

安心決定鈔: a two-volume scripture in Pure Land Buddhism

安心得道: achieving nirvana through equanimity of spirit

keeping an unperturbed mind through faith

安心無き読経は田中の蝦蟇の如し

a sutra recital without peace of mind is just like a toad in a paddy

anshin naki dokyō wa tanaka no gama no gotoshi, “→ reciting the sutras without having the proper spiritual mindset is as meaningful as the croaking of a toad in a rice paddy”


悪魔

From Middle Chinese 惡魔 (MC 'ak ma, literally “bad, evil + demon”).

ltc-l

(Buddhism) a mara, a demon seeking to prevent enlightenment


ドラキュラ

[do̞ɾa̠kʲɨɾa̠]


空

ja-noun

空(くう) • (kū)

From Middle Chinese 空 (MC khuwng|khuwngH).
The Buddhist senses are a translation of Sanskrit शून्यता (śūnyatā).

For pronunciation and definitions of 空 – see the following entry: 虚

For pronunciation and definitions of 空 – see the following entry: うつぼ

(Buddhism) sunyata: emptiness, vacuity, awareness, openness, thusness

(Buddhism) void: one of the 五大 (godai, literally “great five”) and the highest of the five elements


倉庫

倉庫 (canonical)
sōko (romanization)
sauko (romanization)
さうこ (hiragana historical)

倉庫会社

倉庫会社 そうこがいしゃ


乙

Originally from Middle Chinese 乙 (MC 'it), arising from the proper noun sense. Appears in texts from at least 833 CE.

(music) one tone lower than the note indicated by 甲 (kō, “something A”)

(noh theater) in noh musical accompaniment, a specific kind of muffled drum beat played by striking the head of the taiko drum and keeping the mallet pressed against the head


乙

Kojiki
Kōjien
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Shinmura Izuru

Cognate with the initial oto- in 劣る (otoru, “to be less than; to be younger than”), 落とす (otosu, “to drop something”). Also the first element in 弟 (otōto, “younger brother”).
First attested in the Kojiki of 712.
This is distinct from the initial oto- in 乙女(おとめ) (otome), which can instead be traced to an earlier woto- root, cognate with 復(を)つ (wotu).

(archaic, Noh theater) clipping of 乙御前 (oto goze): a stock character in 狂言 (kyōgen) comic interludes, played as a plump and clumsy but earnest young woman


魔界

From 魔(ま) (ma, “magical; demonic”) + 界(かい) (-kai, “realm; world”).


ドラゴン

[do̞ɾa̠ɡõ̞ɴ]

(especially fantasy) Western dragon (mythical creature)


界

From Middle Chinese 界 (MC keajH, “boundary”).
In Buddhist contexts, derived from the Middle Chinese term used as a translation of Sanskrit धातु (dhātu, “layer, stratum”).

(Buddhism) the world or realm of a thing


編

From Middle Chinese 編 (MC pen|pjien|penX).


神

→ English: kami

Ainu language
Japanese language
Korean language
Kyūjitai
Old Japanese language
Proto-Japonic language
Shinjitai

⟨kami₂⟩ → */kamɨ/ → /kami/
From Old Japanese, ultimately from Proto-Japonic *kamui.
Not related to 上 (kami₁ → kami, “top, upper”) or 髪 (kami, “hair”).
Often appears in compounds as kamu- or kan-, indicating that kami is an unbound form deriving from */kamui/. Such apophony has occurred in other Japanese terms, such as 目 (me, ma-, “eye”) or 酒 (sake, saka-, “sake, liquor”). See also WT:AJPX#Standalone forms and combining forms.
Compare Korean 검 (geom, “god, spirit”) and Ainu カムイ (kamuy, “god”).

(Shinto) a spirit or an essence present in all things, the main subject of worship of Shinto


神

Kyūjitai
Mandarin language
Middle Chinese language
Shinjitai

From Middle Chinese 神 (MC zyin). Compare modern Mandarin 神 (shén).


神

Kyūjitai
Middle Chinese language
Shinjitai


三

三猿

see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil; three monkeys

三大都市

three major cities (usu. Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya)


九

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

From Middle Chinese 九 (MC kjuwX). The kan'on reading, so likely a later borrowing. Borrowed after palatalization occurred in Middle Chinese. Compare modern Hakka 九 (giu³).

(divination) the number of yang, in opposition to 六 (roku, “six”) as the number of yin


人間

→ English: ningen

From a Buddhist term: 人間界(にんげんかい) (ningenkai, “human world”).

(Buddhism) literally meaning: "human society", referring to one of the six realms of reincarnation in Buddhist cosmology.


調べる

ja-verb

調(しら)べる • (shiraberu) transitive ichidan (stem 調(しら)べ (shirabe), past 調(しら)べた (shirabeta))

調べる (canonical)
shiraberu (romanization)
調べ (stem)
調べた (past)
調べ
しらべ
shirabe
調べる
しらべる
shiraberu
調べれ
しらべれ
shirabere
調べよ (imperative literary)
調べろ (colloquial imperative)
しらべよ (imperative literary)
しらべろ (colloquial imperative)
shirabeyo (imperative literary)
shirabero (colloquial imperative)
調べられる (passive)
しらべられる (passive)
shiraberareru (passive)
調べさせる (causative)
調べさす (causative)
しらべさせる (causative)
しらべさす (causative)
shirabesaseru (causative)
shirabesasu (causative)
調べられる (potential)
調べれる (colloquial potential)
しらべられる (potential)
しらべれる (colloquial potential)
shiraberareru (potential)
shirabereru (colloquial potential)
調べよう (volitional)
しらべよう (volitional)
shirabeyō (volitional)
調べない (negative)
調べぬ (negative)
調べん (negative)
しらべない (negative)
しらべぬ (negative)
しらべん (negative)
shirabenai (negative)
shirabenu (negative)
shiraben (negative)
調べず (continuative negative)
しらべず (continuative negative)
shirabezu (continuative negative)
調べます (formal)
しらべます (formal)
shirabemasu (formal)
調べた (perfective)
しらべた (perfective)
shirabeta (perfective)
調べて (conjunctive)
しらべて (conjunctive)
shirabete (conjunctive)
調べれば (conditional hypothetical)
しらべれば (conditional hypothetical)
shirabereba (conditional hypothetical)
調べ (irrealis stem)
しらべ (irrealis stem)
sirabe (irrealis)
調べ (continuative stem)
しらべ (continuative stem)
sirabe (continuative)
調ぶ (stem terminative)
しらぶ (stem terminative)
sirabu (terminative)
調ぶる (attributive stem)
しらぶる (attributive stem)
siraburu (attributive)
調ぶれ (realis stem)
しらぶれ (realis stem)
sirabure (realis)
調べよ (imperative stem)
しらべよ (imperative stem)
sirabeyo (imperative)
調べず (negative)
しらべず (negative)
sirabezu (negative)
調ぶれど (contrastive)
しらぶれど (contrastive)
siraburedo (contrastive)
調ぶれば (causative)
しらぶれば (causative)
sirabureba (causative)
調べば (conditional)
しらべば (conditional)
sirabeba (conditional)
調べき (past)
しらべき (past)
sirabeki (past)
調べけり (past)
しらべけり (past)
sirabekeri (past)
調べつ (perfect)
しらべつ (perfect)
sirabetu (perfect)
調べぬ (perfect)
しらべぬ (perfect)
sirabenu (perfect)
調べたり (continuative perfect)
しらべたり (continuative perfect)
sirabetari (continuative perfect)
調べむ (volitional)
しらべむ (volitional)
sirabemu (volitional)

[ɕiɾa̠be̞ɾɯ̟]

The seemingly unrelated senses "to investigate" and "to play an instrument" are probably a semantic loan from Middle Chinese 調 (MC dewH) via kanbun kundoku.

(music) to play, to perform (an instrument)


心

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

(theater) Alternative spelling of 真 (shin):

the center of focus:
Alternative spelling of 真 (shin)


東

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

a historical red-light district in Edo located east of Edo Castle, today in Fukagawa, Kōtō, Tokyo prefecture

(Buddhism) Short for 東本願寺 (Higashi Hongan-ji): a Buddhist temple in Shimogyō, Kyoto, Japan


東

ja-noun

東(とう) • (tō)


神様

From 神 (kami, “deity, god”) + 様 (-sama, honorific suffix).

suf

1985 August 20, Taeko Watanabe, “第(だい)四(よん)十(じゅう)六(ろく)話(わ) 時(とき)の絆(きずな) Ⅲ(さん) [Chapter 46: The Bond of Time III]”, in ファミリー！ [Family!], volume 10 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN, pages 159–160:

…あ…あ 感謝します————神さま…！

…あ…あ 感謝します————神さま…！

…あ…あ 感謝します————神さま…！

2003 March 19 [2001 December 29], Yumi Hotta with Obata, Takeshi, “第(だい)129(ひゃくにじゅうきゅう)局(きょく) もどって来(こ)い！ [Game 129: Come Back!]”, in ヒカルの碁 [Hikaru’s Go], 6th edition, volume 15 (fiction), Tokyo: Shueisha, →ISBN, pages 78–79:

I don’t need anything! I won’t ask to play any more! So, God! I’m begging you! Return things back to the beginning! Turn time back to when I first met him, please!!

オレなんかいらねェ！もう打ちたいって言わねェよ！だから 神さま！お願いだ！はじめにもどして！アイツを会った一番はじめに時間をもどして‼

Ore nan ka ira nē! Mō uchitaitte iwa nē yo! Dakara Kami-sama! O-negai da! Hajime ni modoshite! Aitsu o atta ichiban hajime ni jikan o modoshite‼

Abrahamic religions
w:Abrahamic religions

(honorific) an honorific reference to any god or deity, including the God of the Abrahamic religions


神様

ja-noun

神(かん)様(さあ) or 神様(かんさぁ) or 神(かん)様(さ) • (kansā or kansa)

神様 (canonical)
神様 (canonical)
神様 (canonical)
kansā (romanization)
kansa (romanization)

(Kagoshima) god; gods; goddess; goddesses

仏様

hotoke-sama, an honorific reference to any buddha


女神

Compound of 女 (me, “female”) + 神 (kami, “god”). The kami changes to gami as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

1999 December 16, “逆(ぎゃく)転(てん)の女(め)神(がみ) [Goddess of Reversal]”, in ＥＸ [ＥＸ], Konami:

A goddess who grants reversal power and protects the weak with her holy power.

Seinaru chikara de yowakimono o mamori, gyakuten no chikara o ataeru megami.

聖なる力で弱き者を守り、逆転の力を与える女神。

2007 October 20, Izawa, Hiroshi with Yamada, Kotaro, “最(さい)終(しゅう)話(わ) それぞれの道(みち) [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, →ISBN, page 352:

西方の女神エキドナ


女神

女神 (canonical)
me no kami (romanization)

From 女 (me, “woman”) + の (no, attributive particle) + 神 (kami, “god”), literally “female god”. Akin to the derivation of megami above.


女神

ja-noun

女(おんな)神(がみ) • (onnagami) ^(←をんながみ (wonnagami)?)

女神 (canonical)
onnagami (romanization)
wonnagami (romanization)
をんながみ (hiragana historical)

[õ̞nːa̠ɡa̠mʲi]

By surface analysis, 女 (onna, “woman”) + 神 (kami, “god”), whereby The kami changes to gami as an instance of rendaku (連濁); may separately be a shift from ominagami above, as the omina component, meaning “woman”, separately shifted to onna in general (see etymology of 女(おんな) (onna). However, the development of the “goddess” meaning is more difficult to explain through this analysis, so a plain compound may be the more likely.
Akin to the formations of megami and me no kami above.


女神

ja-noun

女(じょ)神(しん) • (joshin) ^(←ぢよしん (dyosin)?)

女神 (canonical)
joshin (romanization)
dyosin (romanization)
ぢよしん (hiragana historical)

/djosin/ → /d͡ʑoɕin/
From Middle Chinese 女神 (MC nrjoX zyin).


串

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

其の御幣の串に書付て奉りたりける

sono gohei no kushi ni kakitsukete tatematsuritarikeru

That branch of streamers, written and presented...

any slender object that can pierce other objects, especially:

(Shinto) Short for 玉串 (tamagushi): a branch of a 榊 (sakaki) tree used as a Shinto offering


主

主 (canonical)
Shu (romanization)
Syu (romanization)
しゆ (hiragana historical)

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

主の兄弟ヤコブ


乾

the first of the eight trigrams of the I Ching ☰

the first of the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching ䷀


仏

Baekje
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Nihon Shoki

*⟨poto₂ke₂⟩ → */pətəkəi̯/ → /ɸotoke/ → /hotoke/
From Old Japanese, most likely from Proto-Koreanic *Pwutukye, hence related to modern Korean 부처 (Bucheo), Manchu ᡶᡠᠴᡳᡥᡳ (fucihi); see the Proto-Korean entry for more. The word was presumably disseminated by the Baekje people of southwestern Korea, who first introduced Buddhism to Japan. The first two syllables are ultimately from Sanskrit बुद्ध (buddhá), via Middle Chinese 佛陀 (MC bjut da) or some similar Sinitic form. Thomas Pellard speculates that the final element is an ancient Koreanic word for "king; lord".
The more traditional explanation still given in Japanese dictionaries is that the final ke element might be the Chinese-derived suffix 気 (ke, “spirit”), but a Koreanic explanation is more plausible.
First attested in the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE.

(Buddhism) a buddha (enlightened or awakened sentient being)

(Buddhism) a statue or image of any buddha

(Buddhism) performing a Buddhist memorial service


仏

(Buddhism) the Sakyamuni Buddha, Nepalese spiritual and philosophical teacher and founder of Buddhism: Siddhartha Gautama

(Buddhism) any of the other buddhas named in Buddhist scriptures


仏

From Middle Chinese 佛 (MC bjut), shortened from 佛陀 (MC bjut da), itself a transliteration of Sanskrit बुद्ध (buddha).

儒、仏、道


仙

From Middle Chinese 仙 (MC sjen, literally “immortal”). Compare modern Mandarin reading xiān and Cantonese reading sin¹.

(mythology) short for 仙人 (sennin): a wizard or mage; an immortal living as a hermit in the mountains


倍

(typography, newspapers) a unit in newspaper typesetting, equal to 88 mils, ⁸⁸⁄₁₀₀₀ in, 8 U (U) and ¹⁄₁₆ 段 (dan)


僧

僧(そう) • (sō)

Clipping of 僧伽 (sōgya), borrowed from Sanskrit संघ (saṃgha).


兌

the second of the eight trigrams of the I Ching ☱

the fifty-eighth of the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching ䷹


内

(Buddhism) Buddhist teachings on the inner self or ego, as opposed to non-Buddhist ones


冠

Likely a shift from kagafuri above, ancient kagapuri.


冠

(poetry) first (traditionally, five) morae of a haiku, etc.; specifically, the first verse or line of a poem


力

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

com

the traditional sumo stomp at the beginning of a match

力合わせ: matching strength: a competition of strength

力軍

a test of strength, a competition of strength

力石

a large stone used as a dumbbell for purposes of test of strength


力

From Middle Chinese 力 (lik). The goon reading, so likely the initial borrowing. Compare modern Cantonese reading lik⁶.

(Buddhism) capability, especially mystical power

(Buddhism) the suchness of ability, one of the Ten Suchnesses in Mahayana Buddhism


劫

劫 (canonical)
kō (romanization)
kofu (romanization)
こふ (hiragana historical)

/kopu/ → /kofu/ → */kowu/ → /koː/
From Middle Chinese 劫 (MC kjaep), short form of 劫波 (MC kjaep pa), itself a transliteration of Sanskrit कल्प (kalpa, “aeon”).

(Buddhism) kalpa: a unit of time in Buddhist cosmology


劫

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

/ɡopu/ → /ɡofu/ → */ɡowu/ → /ɡoː/
Possibly a shift from kō above.


升

升 (canonical)
升 (canonical)
masu (romanization)
chīto (romanization)

From the similarity of the character to the katakana チート (chīto, “cheat”).


厨

Originally a compound of 涅 (kuri, “black; dark-colored”, cognate with 黒 (kuro, “black”); in reference to the darkening of the walls from soot from cooking fires) + 屋 (ya, “house; shed”).

compound

cognate with <i class="Jpan mention" lang="ja">黒</i> (kuro, “black”); in reference to the darkening of the walls from soot from cooking fires


厨

ja-noun

厨(ちゅう) • (chū)

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


参

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

(Zen Buddhism) a gathering of Zen members in meditation, preaching, and invocation


口

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


唵

唵 (canonical)
唵 (canonical)
on (romanization)

*/om/ → /omu/ → /oɴ/
From Middle Chinese 唵 (ʔʌm^X), itself a transliteration of Sanskrit ॐ (oṃ).
The goon pronunciation, so likely the initial borrowing.


喝

(Buddhism) an interjection uttered by Zen Buddhist masters to scold their students


址

基址


坎

the sixth of the eight trigrams of the I Ching ☵

the twenty-ninth of the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching ䷜


坤

the eighth of the eight trigrams of the I Ching ☷

the second of the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching ䷁


坤

坤 (canonical)
hitsujisaru (romanization)


塒

Compound of 寝(ね) (ne) + 座(くら) (kura). The kura changes to gura as an instance of rendaku (連濁).


塔

塔主, 塔司

job title for the caretaker of a Buddhist cemetery

the location of a stupa for a past master

the title of the monk in charge of that stupa


塔

塔 (canonical)
tō (romanization)
tafu (romanization)
たふ (hiragana historical)

/tapu/ → /taɸu/ → */tawu/ → /tau/ → /tɔː/ → /toː/
From Middle Chinese 塔 (MC thap, “tower, pagoda, spire”).
An abbreviation for 卒塔婆 (sotoba, sotōba), a transliteration of Sanskrit स्तूप (stūpa, “heap”).

align

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塔は下から組め

no good building without a good foundation; build a tower from the bottom up


塔

塔 (canonical)
-tō (romanization)
-tafu (romanization)
たふ (hiragana historical)


塔

[a̠ɾa̠ɾa̠ɡʲi]

First appears in the Engishiki compilation of laws created in the early 900s, spelled phonetically in kanji as 阿良良伎. Spelled as 蘭, araragi literally means “wild onion” and refers to the wild rocambole, possibly hardneck garlic, notable for its tall green stalk sticking straight up. Used as a euphemism for 塔 (tafu at the time), as that word's Buddhist connotations were viewed as taboo in contexts having to do with the religious center of Itsuki no Miya (斎宮, also known as Saikū).

(tarot) The Tower, the sixteenth trump or major arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks

Short for 塔舞 (Araragimai): the title of a piece of bugaku Japanese court dance


塵

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

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


塾

2006 November 17, Seimaru Amagi with Sato, Fumiya, “獄(ごく)門(もん)塾(じゅく)殺(さつ)人(じん)事(じ)件(けん)１(いち) [The Prison Gate Cram School Murder Case #1]”, in 獄門塾殺人事件（上） [The Prison Gate Cram School Murder Case (First Book)] (金田一少年の事件簿) (fiction), Tokyo: Kodansha, →ISBN:

やだ！コワイ！

やだ！コワイ！

やだ！コワイ！


境

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

(Buddhism) something that can be perceived with the mind or senses


壁

Compound of 処 (ka, “place”) + 重 (he, “division”), in reference to walls dividing objects apart. The he changes to be as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

2011 May 14, “アクア・マドール [Aqua Madoll]”, in Beginner's Edition 1, Konami:

A water-manipulating magician who crushes his enemies with his massive water walls.

水をあやつる魔法使い。分厚い水の壁をつくり敵を押しつぶす。

Mizu o ayatsuru mahōtsukai. Buatsui mizu no kabe o tsukuri teki o oshitsubusu.

a 掛詞 (kakekotoba) for 寝る (nuru) by way of 塗る (nuru)


変

変成 : metamorphosis変成岩 : metamorphic rock


夏

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

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


外

(Buddhism) non-Buddhist teachings or texts


天

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

天狗: long-nosed yōkai of Japanese mythology

天変地異

an extraordinary natural phenomenon or occurrence

天道

the world of heavenly gods; the world of devas

天部

大黒天

弁才天


嫁

There are several theories, all of which analyse it as よ (yo) + 女(め) (me, “woman, female”). However, よ (yo) may be one of the following:
* 呼 (“to call out, invite”, in reference to welcoming the daughter-in-law as the son’s wife)
* 弱 (“weak”, in reference to the inferior position relative to the mother-in-law)
* 夜 (“night”, in reference to serving the husband at night)
* 良 (“good”)
* 吉 (“good luck”)

1984 February 20 [1982 September 15], Motoka Murakami, “父(と)っちゃより大(おお)きくの巻(まき) [Ah’ll Be Taller than Pa]”, in 六(ム)三(サ)四(シ)の剣(けん) [Musashi’s Sword], 6th edition, volume 8 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN, page 62:

もなみを……六三四くんのお嫁さんさしてね〰〰‼

Monami o…… Musashi-kun no o-yome-san sa shite ne~~‼

もなみを……六三四くんのお嫁さんさしてね〰〰‼

もなみを……六三四くんのお嫁さんさしてね〰〰‼


嬰

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

嬰ヘ ― eihe ― F-sharp


実

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

com+

tongue and groove
tongue and groove#English

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


宮

Daijirin
Daijisen
Kyōsuke Kindaichi
ja:松村明

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

compound

Miya. ミヤ (宮) 神 (Camis)の社.

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

(Buddhism) a temple holding a Buddhist statue


宮

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

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

ltc-l

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

黄道十二宮、宝瓶宮

the twelve signs of the zodiac, the house of Aquarius

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


宴

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


宴

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


家

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

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

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

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

ここが僕の家 そして今日から君が暮らす家でもある

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


家

→ English: hooch

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


家

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

俺ん家に来ない？


密

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

(Buddhism) the teachings of esoteric Buddhism


寺

Second grade kyōiku kanji (romanization)

Tanjō Temple: any of various Buddhist temple

寺印

the official stamp or seal of a Buddhist temple


寺

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

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

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


尊

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

高皇産霊尊

高皇産霊 たかみむすひの

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


尊

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


尼

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

clipping

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

あ、空戦アルト売ってる（´・ω・`）でも明日尼から届くから

A, kūsen-Aruto utteru (´ ω `) demo asu Ama kara todoku kara

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

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


局

a private room in a palace or noble residence created by subdividing a larger room or gallery with curtains and screens


屋

部屋

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


崖

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

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


巴

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

English: tomoe

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

com

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


巽

the fifth of the eight trigrams of the I Ching ☴

the fifty-seventh of the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching ䷸


布

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

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


幕

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

act (division of theatrical performance)


幣

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


幣

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


幣

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


床

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

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


店

Short for earlier 見(み)せ棚(だな) (misedana), from 見(み)せる (miseru, “to show”) + 棚(たな) (tana, “shelf”).


庵

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

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


廬

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

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


廬

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

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

a small hut for hermits and priests; a hermitage


弓

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

From Old Japanese, ultimately from Proto-Japonic *yumi. Appears in the Man'yōshū (c. 759 CE), with a phonetic spelling of 由美 ⟨yumi₁⟩, */yumʲi/.

梓弓

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

破魔弓

a traditional Shintō ceremonial bow for dispel evil

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

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

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

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


形

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

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

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


律

From Middle Chinese 律 (MC lwit).
The Buddhist senses are a translation of Sanskrit विनय (vinaya, “discipline, guidance, humility”).

der

(Buddhism) a set of rules for a monastic community

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

律蔵

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

律儀

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

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


律

(Buddhism) rules of discipline for a monastic community


律

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


徒

徒花

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

蕉風俳諧(しょうふうはいかい) 蕉風俳諧#Japanese

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


恵

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

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

Noble Eightfold Path
w:Noble Eightfold Path

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


政

政 (canonical)
matsurigoto (romanization)

政を為すは猶沐するが如し

matsurigoto o nasu wa nao moku suru ga gotoshi

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

太政官

太政 おおいまつりごとの

(especially in Shinto) a festival, ritual


斎

(Buddhism) meals exchanged between priests and parishioners


斎

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

破夜歩佐波阿梅珥能朋利等弭箇既梨伊莵岐餓宇倍能娑奘岐等羅佐泥

阿梅珥能朋利 あめにのぼり

娑奘岐等羅佐泥 さざきとらさね

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

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


斎

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

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


斎

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


旅

旅 (canonical)
ryo (romanization)
りよ (hiragana historical)

From Middle Chinese 旅 (MC ljoX, “a military unit of 500 men; to go [on a sortie; on a trip or journey]”).

ltc-l

a military unit of 500 men; to go 􂀿on a sortie; on a trip or journey􂁀

the fifty-sixth of the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching ䷷


明

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

/mʲau/ → /mʲɔː/ → /mʲoː/
From Middle Chinese 明 (MC mjaeng).
The Buddhist senses are a translation of Sanskrit विद्या (vidyā, “knowledge, wisdom”).

der

(Buddhism) passing of knowledge, scholarship, or study


明

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


星

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

See also: 星人 (seijin)

この星を守ると決めた


星

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

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

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

——あ、わたくしマキシムＡＧＦです。リプトン星からやってまいりました。地球の寒さにおどろいてます。どぞよろしく。

——A, watakushi Makishimu Ējīefu desu. Riputon-sei kara yatte mairimashita. Chikyū no samusa ni odoroitemasu. Dozo yoroshiku.

(loosely, especially fiction) attached to names of planets


有

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

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


有

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


木

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

猿も木から落ちる

even monkeys fall from trees → nobody's perfect

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


末

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

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

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


末

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

端役

extra or minor part in any theatrical tradition

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


果

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

(Buddhism) phala, attained state, result

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


根

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

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


桁

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

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

木造建築物の場合は地盤面から敷桁上端（柱の上部を連結しているけたの上端）まで […] の高さが軒の高さになります。

Mokuzō kenchikubutsu no baai wa jibanmen kara shikigeta jōtan (hashira no jōbu o renketsu shite iru keta no jōtan) made […] no takasa ga noki no takasa ni narimasu.


桂

桂 (canonical)
桂 (canonical)
katsura (romanization)

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

桂男

the katsura man, a character in the Chinese legend who lives on the moon

containing only the Cercidiphyllum genus

containing only the two species Cercidiphyllum japonicum and Cercidiphyllum magnificum

広葉桂

broadleaf katsura, Cercidiphyllum magnificum

(Chinese mythology) a tree on the moon, from a Chinese legend that the phases of the moon were caused by Lauraceae trees budding, blossoming, then dropping their flowers and leaves again as if in accelerated seasons


桐

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

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

from the wood of the paulownia used as the soundboard

from the markings of paulownia crests on the coins

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


桜

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

桜切る馬鹿梅切らぬ馬鹿

foolish to prune cherry trees but not to prune plum trees

English: sakura

Indonesian: sakura

Kavalan: sakula

Korean: 사꾸라 (sakkura, “spy”)

Kunigami: 桜 (sakūra)

Okinawan: 桜 (sakura)

Portuguese: sakura

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

com

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


桶

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

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

桶狭間焼き

a style of pottery originating near Okehazama

桶絞り

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

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

桶尻

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

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

桶側胴

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

桶大工

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

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

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

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

桶が腐れば菜が腐る: "if the bucket rots

おけがくさればながくさる

the greens rot" → if the surrounding is bad

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


梁

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


梁

ja-pos

梁(りょう) • (Ryō)


梓

ja-noun

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

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

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

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


棒

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

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

(Buddhism) staff used by practitioners of Zen Buddhism


楓

楓 (canonical)
楓 (canonical)
katsura (romanization)

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

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


楣

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

compound

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

鴨居

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

無目

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

(architecture, construction, carpentry) a lintel


業

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

業によりて果を引く

you reap what you sow, what goes around comes around

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

業が煮える, 業が煎れる, 業が湧く

to be irritated, to be annoyed, to get angry

業の風

the powerful wind of sin that blow in hell

業の秤

a mythological scale that weighs the sins of the dead

業を曝す

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


業

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


楼

ja-noun

楼(ろう) • (rō)


榊

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

Extended shinjitai
Kyūjitai
Shinjitai
The Tale of Genji

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

賢木

Sakaki, tenth chapter of The Tale of Genji

a tree of species Cleyera japonica, considered sacred in Shinto

any evergreen tree planted within precincts of a Shinto shrine


樋

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


橋

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

旋澓 … 梁力將反橋也二字波之

橋梁 上波之下宇都波利

that which is constructed to connect two points for the purpose of transportation: a bridge

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

a person who acts as a bridge between different people: a mediator, a go-between


機

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

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


檀

(Buddhism) Short for 檀那 (danna, “generosity, almsgiving”).


次

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

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


歌

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *ota.

氷と炎の歌


殯

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


段

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


法

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

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


海

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

海を渡る

cross over the ocean → go to a foreign country

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


灯

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

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


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).


熊

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

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

cog

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


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


牢

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


狢

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

Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Nihon Shoki
Wakan Sansai Zue

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

(mythology) a yōkai that shapeshifts and deceives humans


獄

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


獄

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


獏

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


琴

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

琴瑟

qin and se →; kinshitsu, marital harmony"”


瑟

(music) a zither with movable bridges and around 25 strings


瓦

瓦 (canonical)
kawara (romanization)
kafara (romanization)
かはら (hiragana historical)

[ka̠β̞a̠ɾa̠]

Asuka period
Daijirin
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten

/kapara/ → /kaɸara/ → /kawara/
Probably from Sanskrit कपाल (kapāla, “cup, bowl, skull”), possibly via Middle Chinese 迦波羅 (MC kae pa la). Along with Buddhism, roof tiles came to Japan in the Asuka period.
Cognate with 骨, 䯊 (kawara, “a bone, particularly a covering bone such as a skull or kneecap”).
Folk etymologies include:
* From 変わら (kawara), the 未然形 (mizenkei, “incomplete form”) of verb 変わる (kawaru, “to change”), from the idea that tiles were produced by changing the clay into pottery through firing


瓦

瓦 (canonical)
ga (romanization)
gwa (romanization)
ぐわ (hiragana historical)

From Middle Chinese 瓦 (MC ngwaeX|ngwaeH).


番

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

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


痴

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

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


短

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


砧

From 衣板 (kinuita, literally “clothes board”), with elision of the i; see 衣 and 板 for more on the components.

(music) Clipping of 砧拍子 (kinuta-byōshi).


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


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

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

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.

(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

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

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

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


穂

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *po.


竜

ja-noun

竜(りゅう) • (ryū)

1999 July 22, “砦(とりで)を守(まも)る翼(よく)竜(りゅう) [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.

山の砦を守る竜。天空から急降下して敵を攻撃。

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

2004 May 1, Izawa, Hiroshi with Yamada, Kotaro, “第(だい)26(にじゅうろく)話(わ) 賢(けん)者(じゃ)の試(し)問(もん) [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, →ISBN, 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.

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

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


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)

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


竜

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


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


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


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.


筑

(music) an ancient zither-like instrument


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. Compare the development of 這(は)い入(い)る (haiiru) to 入(はい)る (hairu), or 参(まい)入(い)る (maiiru) to 参(まい)る (mairu).

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


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


管

Fourth grade kyōiku kanji (romanization)


管

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

From Middle Chinese 管 (kuɑn^X, “pipe, tube”).


管

From Old Japanese 管 (kuda, “pipe, tube”).

(military) Short for 管の笛 (kuda no fue, “a kind of small pipe or flute used for signalling during a battle, similar to a fife”).

管の笛

Short for 管狐 (kudagitsune, “a kind of mythical fox roughly the size of a weasel, that would live in bamboo stalks and make prophecies of the future”).


簫

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

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


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


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”).

このノートパソコンはクソだ！

(by extension, vulgar) shit, crap, garbage, trash


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).


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

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


紫

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


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


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


縁

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


羽

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


聖

高野聖: an itinerant Buddhist monk sent from Mount Kōya to preach around the country


聖

Compound of 日(ひ) (hi, “day, light, the sun”) + 知(し)り (shiri, “knowing”). The shiri changes to jiri due to rendaku (連濁).

ja-compound

a virtuous or high-ranking Buddhist priest or monk

a monk who has gone into seclusion for purposes of asceticism and spiritual enlightenment


肉

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


臘

臘 (canonical)
rō (romanization)
rafu (romanization)
らふ (hiragana historical)

a year in Buddhism after one completes a meditation retreat


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


芋

From 芋虫(いもむし) (imomushi), from a player character's resemblance to a caterpillar once moving while prone.

first-person shooting
first-person shooter

(video games) camper, a person who stays in one spot in a first-person shooting game


苦

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


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


葛

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

⟨kadura⟩ → /kad͡zuɾa/ → /kazuɾa/
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *kantura. Cognate with Okinawan 葛 (kanda).

羅生門葛

羅生門葛 ラショウモンカズラ

(architecture) the level material on to which the foundations of a structure are lain


蓍

蓍 (canonical)
蓍 (canonical)
medoki (romanization)
medogi (romanization)

divination sticks, initially made of lespedeza stalks, used for hexagram divination


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


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).


蛙

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

⟨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


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


袖

⟨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


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 ceremonial overcoat with unsewn sides, worn by shrine maidens for certain ceremonies such as kagura

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”)


襷

(archaic, Shinto) a shoulder-tied cord, to mark one's purification to serve the gods


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


観

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

From Middle Chinese 觀 /观 (kwan, “look”).


証

ja-noun

証(しょう) • (shō)


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

(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


鈴

Kagura suzu
Kojiki
Man'yōshū
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
Suzu

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

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


鉋

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


鉋

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/


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

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


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)


鑢

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


長

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

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


闇

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

(Buddhism) darkness, as a metaphor for worldly desires


離

the third of the eight trigrams of the I Ching ☲

the thirtieth of the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching ䷝


震

the fourth of the eight trigrams of the I Ching ☳

the fifty-first of the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching ䷲


静

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

/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


面

両A面


駒

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

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


鬼

From Old Japanese.
Thought to be derived from 隠 (on, “to hide; hidden from sight”).

鬼糸巻鱏

鬼糸巻鱏 オニイトマキエイ

人神 周易云、人神曰鬼、居偉反、和名於邇、或説云、於邇者、隠音之訛也、鬼物隠而不欲顯形、故以稱也。


魂

ja-noun

魂(たましい) • (tamashī) ^(←たましひ (tamasifi)?)

魂 (canonical)
tamashī (romanization)
tamasifi (romanization)
たましひ (hiragana historical)

⟨tamasipi₁⟩ → */tamasipʲi/ → /tamaɕifi/ → /tamaɕiwi/ → /tamaɕiː/
From Old Japanese.
Compound of 魂 (tama, “soul, spirit”, see below) and an uncertain shii, possibly 強ひ (shihi → shii), the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of classical verb 強ふ (shifu → shiu), modern 強いる (shiiru, “to force, compel”).

多麻之比波安之多由布敝尓多麻布礼杼安我牟祢伊多之古非能之氣吉尓

安之多由布敝尓 あしたゆふへに

安我牟祢伊多之 あがむねいたし

古非能之氣吉尓 こひのしげきに

tamashī wa ashita-yūbe ni tamafuredo aga mune itashi koi no shigeki ni


魄

2004 June 15, Rumiko Takahashi, “第(だい)１話(わ) 試(し)作(さく) [Chapter 1: Prototypes]”, in 犬(いぬ)夜(や)叉(しゃ) [Inuyasha], volume 35 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN, page 8:

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

魂は心…つまり魂だ。そして魄は体を動かす力…

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

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

魄ってやつがあれば、魂のない死骸でも動くんだな。

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.


鯤

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


鯱

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

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


鯱

Synonym of 松毬魚 (matsukasa-uo, “Japanese pinecone fish}, Monocentris japonica”)


鳳

鳳(ほう) • (hō)

(Chinese mythology) feng: a fabled male fire-bird, thought to be a manifestation of a saint


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

something extremely large; kun (large mythical fish) and peng (large mythical bird)


鵺

其時上下手々に火をともいて、これを御らんじみ給ふに、かしらは猿、むくろは狸、尾はくちなは、手足は虎の姿なり。なく聲鵼にぞにたりける。おそろしなどもをろか也。[...]去る應保のころほひ、二条院御在位の時、鵼といふ化鳥禁中にないて、しば々々宸襟をなやます事ありき。[...]ころはさ月廿日あまりの、まだよひの事なるに、鵼たゞ一聲おとづれて、二聲ともなかざりけり。[...]頼政はかりことに、まづおほかぶらをとてつがひ、鵼の聲しつる内裏のうへへぞいあげたる。鵼かぶらのをとにおどろいて、虚空にしばしひゝめいたり。二の矢に小鏑ととつがひ、ひふつとゐきて、鵼とかぶらとならべて前にぞおとしたる。[...]頼政にかづけ給ふとて、「昔の養由は雲の外の鴈をいき。今の頼政は雨のうちに鵼をゐたり」とぞ感ぜられける。

a mystical creature with the head of a monkey, the body of a tanuki, the tail of a snake, and the legs of a tiger; similar to a chimera


鼈

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

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”)


鼓

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

generic name for musical instruments with a leather head that can be struck.


齣

齣 (canonical)
齣 (canonical)
koma (romanization)

Probably cognate with 小間, 細 (koma, “small; a small piece of something”).

(film, animation, manga) a frame of a comic or film

(film, theater) an act or scene of a play or movie

(music) a phrase or portion of a piece of music


齣

May be from Middle Chinese, or may be a shift in reading from setsu below.


龍

龍(りゅう) • (ryū)

a 家紋 (kamon, “family crest”) with a Chinese dragon design


龍

ja-pos

龍(りゅう) • (Ryū)

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


龗

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

吾岡之於可美尓言而令落雪之摧之彼所尓塵家武

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

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


遊戯

遊戯 (canonical)
遊戯 (canonical)
yuge (romanization)
yuke (romanization)

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

(Buddhism) freedom, said of the Buddha, bodhisattvas, or other enlightened beings


パン

(cinematography) a pan shot (a film shot where the camera is turned horizontally)


パン

Ultimately from Ancient Greek Πάν (Pán).


字典

ja-noun

字(じ)典(てん) or 字(もじ)典(てん) • (jiten or mojiten)

字典 (canonical)
字典 (canonical)
jiten (romanization)
mojiten (romanization)

dictionary of kanji; Han character dictionary


RPG

[a̠ːɾɯ̟pʲiːʑiː]

ロールプレイングゲーム ロールプレイングゲーム#Japanese

Abbreviation of ロールプレイングゲーム (rōru-pureingu gēmu, “role-playing game”).


オタク

desc

→ Arabic: أُوتَاكُو (ʔūtākū)

→ Arabic: أُوتَاكُو (ʔūtākū)

→ Bengali: ওতাকু (ōtaku)

⇒ Chinese:

Mandarin: 御宅族 (yùzháizú)

⇒ Mandarin: 宅男 (zháinán)

⇒ Mandarin: 宅女 (zháinǚ)

→ English: otaku

→ German: Otaku

→ Greek: οτάκου (otákou)

→ Hebrew: אוֹטָאקוּ (otáku)

→ Italian: otaku

→ Korean: 오타쿠 (otaku), 오덕후 (odeokhu)

→ Marathi: ओताकु (otāku)

→ Persian: اتاکو (otâku)

→ Russian: ота́ку (otáku)

→ Spanish: otaku

→ Thai: โอะตะกุ (ò-dtà-gù)

From お宅 (otaku), the honorific version of 宅 (taku, “home”), referring to 1982–1983 Macross fans, or perhaps earlier; see Wikipedia discussion.

2002, 山田裕康 [Yamada Hiroyasu], LDの可能性を広げる, page 11:

しかし、多くの友達にとってはそんなことにはまったく興味はなく、「またかよ〜」と飽き飽きしているのですが、「電車の時刻表」、「ポットン便所」、「明智光秀」、「テレビ番組の細かすぎるオタク」と、どんな話題からもルド君はそちらに持って行ってしまうのです。

Shikashi, ōku no tomodachi ni totte wa sonna koto ni wa mattaku kyōmi wa naku,“mata ka yo~” to akiaki shiteiru no desu ga,“densha no jikokuhyō”,“potton benjo”,“Akechi Mitsuhide”,“terebi bangumi no komakasugiru otaku” to, donna wadai kara mo Rudo-kun wa sochira ni motte itte shimau no desu.

2004, Jim Albert, Jay Bennett, translated by 加藤貴昭 [Katō Yoshiaki], メジャーリーグの数理科学 (上) [Major league mathematical science (first part)], page 58:

Statisticians are after all liable to be thought of as number geeks and graph makers, but that is obviously a mistaken interpretation.

統計学者は所詮、数字オタクやグラフ作成者と思われがちだが、それは明らかに間違った解釈である。

Tōkeigakusha wa shosen, sūji otaku ya gurafu sakuseisha to omoware gachi da ga, sore wa akiraka ni machigatta kaishaku dearu.

And now in Japan as well tea houses have come to be enjoyed not by eccentric geeks but by stylish women.

今や日本でも茶芸館が、エキセントリックなオタクではなく、おしゃれな女性たちに楽しまれるようになった。

Ima ya Nihon de mo chageikan ga, ekisentorikku na otaku de wa naku, oshare na josei-tachi ni tanoshimareru yō ni natta.

(chiefly derogatory) geek, nerd, freak, no-lifer; one who is obsessed with something to the exclusion of such things as social interaction.

Otaku#Etymology
The Super Dimension Fortress Macross
ja:オタク


ほ

ho (romanization)
fo (romanization)
ほ (hiragana historical)

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *po.


修羅

修羅霊

the spirit of a demi-god or of a demi-demon

(Buddhism) Asura (a demigod of the lowest class)

(Buddhism) short for 修羅道 (shuradō, “realm of Asura; one of the six realms of reincarnation in Buddhism”).


イスラム教

イスラム教 (canonical)
Isuramu-kyō (romanization)

[isɨɾa̠mɯ̟ kʲo̞ː]

イスラム (Isuramu, “Islamic”) + 教 (-kyō, “religion”)


厨房

ja-noun

厨(ちゅう)房(ぼう) • (chūbō)

Alternative kana conversion of 中(ちゅう)坊(ぼう) (chūbō).

ja-r

中(ちゅう)坊(ぼう) (chūbō)

(Internet slang, derogatory) Internet troll


図書館

ja-noun

図(と)書(しょ)館(かん) • (toshokan) ^(←としよくわん (tosyokwan)?)

図書館 (canonical)
toshokan (romanization)
tosyokwan (romanization)
としよくわん (hiragana historical)

[to̞ɕo̞kã̠ɴ]

Compound of 図(と)書(しょ) (tosho, “books”) + 館(かん) (-kan, “building”).


仮名

仮名 (canonical)
kemyō (romanization)
kemyau (romanization)
けみやう (hiragana historical)

/kemjau/ → /kemjɔː/ → /kemjoː/
From Middle Chinese 假名 (MC kaeX|kaeH mjieng, literally “borrowed; false + name”) 假名 (kæ^X mjieng, literally “borrowed; false + name”). The goon reading, so probably an earlier borrowing from Chinese. Compare modern Min Nan reading ké-miâ.
The Buddhist sense derives from use of this term in Chinese as a translation of Sanskrit प्रज्ञप्ति (prajñapti, “appointing → provisional naming”), used in some Buddhist schools to refer to the practice of conceptualising and naming things that are not real.

cog

(Buddhism) the conceptualisation and provisional naming of things that are not real; something so named


映画

ja-noun

映(えい)画(が) • (eiga) ^(←えいぐわ (eigwa)?) (counter 本)

映画 (canonical)
eiga (romanization)
eigwa (romanization)
本 (counter)
えいぐわ (hiragana historical)

→ Sakizaya: iga

→ Hakka: 映畫 é-kà /映画 é-kà (Sixian)

いい映画を観た。


音楽

From Middle Chinese 音樂 (MC 'im ngaewH|ngaewk|lak).

そういう気持は悪い音楽を聞いたあとの感動に非常に似ていた。

1927, 堀辰雄, ルウベンスの偽画

That feeling was exactly like the way I feel after listening to bad music.

Sō iu kimochi wa warui ongaku o kiita ato no kandō ni hijō ni niteita.


修道院

修(しゅう)道(どう)院(いん) • (shūdōin)

From Chinese 修道 (xiūdào, “spiritual discipline”) + 院 (yuàn, “court or school”).

der

(Catholicism) an abbey; a monastery; a cloister


字体

the form of a character that belongs to a system, such as "Old", "New", "Simplified", "Traditional", etc.; this concerns the major, systematic differences, such as which radicals to be used, or stroke counts; compare 字形 (jikei)


神社

神社 (canonical)
jinja (romanization)
zinzya (romanization)
じんじや (hiragana historical)

→ Amis: cincya

→ English: jinja

[d͡ʑĩɲ̟d͡ʑa̠]


神社

ja-noun

神(かみ)社(やしろ) or 神(かむ)社(やしろ) • (kamiyashiro or kamuyashiro)

神社 (canonical)
神社 (canonical)
kamiyashiro (romanization)
kamuyashiro (romanization)

椿大神社


神社

神社 (canonical)
Kamiyashiro (romanization)

a town in Watarai District, Mie Prefecture


Dr

(music) Abbreviation of ドラム (doramu, “drums (of a rock band)”).


麒麟

麒麟 (canonical)
麒麟 (canonical)
kirin (romanization)

From Old Japanese, in turn from Middle Chinese 麒麟 (MC gi lin). First cited in Japanese to the Nihon Shoki of 720.
The giraffe sense was probably based on a superficial resemblance between certain depictions of the mythical beast and the patterning and body shape of the real animal: a tailed, hoofed, and horned quadruped with a vaguely leopard-like spot pattern. First cited in Japanese to a text from 1798.

2010 May 23, Gosho Aoyama, “ＦＩＬＥ(ファイル).５(ご) [青](せい)[龍](りゅう) [FILE 5: Azure Dragon]”, in 名(めい)探(たん)偵(てい)コナン [Legendary Detective Conan], volume 68 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN:

That’s giraffe(kirin) the animal! The qilin(kirin) we’re talking about… has a deer-like body covered in golden scales, with a cow’s tail and a horse’s hooves, and with a single horn growing from its dragonish head… It’s a mythical beast from Chinese legends!

それは動物のキリン！問題の麒麟は…全身が黄色い鱗で覆われていて、姿は鹿、牛の尾と馬の蹄を持ち、龍に似た頭から１本角が生えてる…中国の伝説上の神獣だよ！

Sore wa dōbutsu no kirin! Mondai no kirin wa… Zenshin ga kiiroi uroko de ōwarete ite, sugata wa shika, ushi no o to uma no hizume o mochi, ryū ni nita atama kara ippon tsuno ga haete ru… Chūgoku no densetsu jō no shinjū da yo!

麒麟, 騏驎: (mythology, Chinese mythology) a qilin


狒々

狒々 (canonical)
狒々 (canonical)
hihi (romanization)

(Japanese mythology, folklore) a hihi (Japanese monkey-like yokai)


魑魅

a demon formed from the spirit of mountains and forests

魑魅魍魎

魑魅魍魎 ちみもうりょう


ホラー

ホラー • (horā)

ホラー映画

2002 January 17, Yukiru Sugisaki, “STAGE(ステージ)３(さん) Vol.(ボリューム)５(ご)”, in [D](ディー)・[N](エヌ)・[ANGEL](エンジェル)・ [D.N.Angel], volume 6 (fiction), Tokyo: Kadokawa Shoten, →ISBN, page 10:

A movie!? They went to the Movie Area instead of the Attraction Area!? Oh no!! Is there a screening of that popular horror movie called One Hand now!?

映画ですってぇ⁉アトラクションエリアじゃなくてムービーエリアに行っちゃったの⁉大変‼もしかして 今 大人気の「片手」とかゆうホラームービー⁉

Eiga desuttē⁉ Atorakushon Eria ja nakute Mūbī Eria ni itchatta no⁉ Taihen‼ Moshikashite ima daininki no “Wan Hando” toka yū horā mūbī⁉

horror (as a genre or element of fiction)

Daijisen#Online_search_engines
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten
ja:ホラー


辞書

From Middle Chinese compound 辤書 /辤书 (zi syo, literally “quit + writing”).

a formal document of abdication when one emperor steps down and a new emperor ascends the throne


人道

From nin (人, people, mankind) + dō (道, plane of existence).

(Buddhism) Life as a human: one of the six planes or domains of existence in the cycle of samsara.


世界

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

世界遺産条約

Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage

世界一

best in the world, most (adjective) in the world

世界気象機関: the World Meteorological Organization

世界語

universal language, international language

世界自然保護基金: the World Wide Fund for Nature

世界中

throughout the world, all the world, worldwide

世界知的所有権機関: the World Intellectual Property Organization

世界連

in line with the rest of the world, normal

世界労働組合連盟: the World Federation of Trade Unions

there are no leftover women in the world; said particularly to women

世界に余った女は無い: → there is someone for everyone

世界に鬼は無い: → the world is not full of heartless people

and there are many kind souls who will lend a hand

世界は大戯場の如し

the world is just like a big theatre → all the world's a stage

世界は張り物

the world is starched clothes → it's all about appearances, clothes make the man

世界は回り持ち

the world comes in turns → all things come to those who wait, to everything there is a season

世界半分自惚れしっかり

of the world, only halfway, but full of conceit → being full of oneself without bothering to learn much about the world

世界我が物

the world is one's possession → acting as if one owns the world

万象

all things, all of the universe, every manifestation of nature

(Buddhism) the four inner realms of 須弥山 (Shumisen)


女帝

ja-noun

女(じょ)帝(てい) or 女(にょ)帝(たい) • (jotei or nyotai) ^(←ぢよてい (dyotei)?)

女帝 (canonical)
女帝 (canonical)
jotei (romanization)
nyotai (romanization)
dyotei (romanization)
ぢよてい (hiragana historical)

Jinnō Shōtōki
Kitabatake Chikafusa
ja:女帝


人魚

人魚姫

伝説では、彼女は人魚だったと言われる。

Densetsu de wa, kanojo wa ningyo datta to iwareru.

1999 March 27, “恍(こう)惚(こつ)の人魚(マーメイド) [Enchanting Mermaid]”, in Vol.2, Konami:

A beautiful mermaid who lures seafarers before drowning them.

海を航海する者を誘惑しておぼれさせる、美しい人魚。

Umi o kōkai suru mono o yūwaku shite oboresaseru, utsukushii ningyo.

人魚構文

人魚構文 にんぎょこうぶん


SF

サイエンス・フィクション サイエンス・フィクション#Japanese

(fiction) SF: Abbreviation of サイエンス・フィクション (“science fiction”).


歌舞伎

English: kabuki

Daijisen
Tenshō (Momoyama period)
ja:松村明

Term first attested around the Tenshō era (1573-1592).
The 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 傾く (kabuku, “to tilt, to lean”).
The kanji spelling is an example of phono-semantic ateji (当て字), literally "song, dance, and skill".

(culture, art) kabuki: traditional Japanese dance-drama featuring bizarrely-dressed performers


ウィクショナリー

[β̞ikɯ̟̊ɕo̞na̠ɾʲiː]


キリスト

1917, Luke 20:41, 大正改訳聖書 [Taishō Bible]:

And he said unto them, How say they that the Christ is David's son?

イエス彼らに言ひたまふ、如何なれば人々、キリストをダビデの子と言ふか。

Iesu karera ni iitamau, ika nareba hitobito, Kirisuto o Dabide no ko to iu ka.


新約聖書

ja-pos

新(しん)約(やく)聖(せい)書(しょ) • (Shin'yaku Seisho)

新約聖書 (canonical)
Shin'yaku Seisho (romanization)

[ɕĩɰ̃ja̠kɯ̟̊se̞ːɕo̞]

新 (shin-, “neo-; new”) + 約 (yaku, “contract”) + 聖書 (Seisho, “Bible”)


聖書

→ Yami: seysio


映画館

ja-noun

映(えい)画(が)館(かん) • (eigakan) ^(←えいぐわくわん (eigwakwan)?)

映画館 (canonical)
eigakan (romanization)
eigwakwan (romanization)
えいぐわくわん (hiragana historical)

[e̞ːɡa̠kã̠ɴ]

From 映画 (eiga, “movie”) + 館 (kan, “building”).


フランシスコ会

フランシスコ会 (canonical)
Furanshisuko-kai (romanization)

From フランシスコ (Furanshisuko, “Francisco”) + 会 (kai, “party”).

The Franciscan order (an order of the Catholic Church following the beliefs of St. Francis of Assisi).


芸術

[ɡe̞ːʑɨt͡sɨ]

From Literary Chinese 藝術, collectively the 六藝 (Liùyì, “Six Arts”) and 術數 (shùshù, “numerology”)


相槌

ja-noun

相(あい)槌(づち) • (aizuchi) ^(←あひづち (afiduti)?)

相槌 (canonical)
aizuchi (romanization)
afiduti (romanization)
あひづち (hiragana historical)

→ English: aizuchi

From あい (ai-, “mutual, together”) + 槌(つち) (tsuchi, “hammer”). The tsuchi changes to zuchi as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

ja-compound

(construction) a large hammer used to drive a ridgepole, beam, or other large member


郵便局

ja-noun

郵(ゆう)便(びん)局(きょく) • (yūbinkyoku) ^(←いうびんきよく (iubinkyoku)?)

郵便局 (canonical)
yūbinkyoku (romanization)
iubinkyoku (romanization)
いうびんきよく (hiragana historical)

[jɯ̟ːbʲĩŋʲkʲo̞kɯ̟]

特定郵便局

特定郵便局 とくていゆうびんきょく

郵便局長

郵便局長 ゆうびんきょくちょう

郵便局員

郵便局員 ゆうびんきょくいん

航空郵便

航空郵便 こうくうゆうびん


発音

[ha̠t͡sɨõ̞ɴ]

最大同時発音数


発音

発音する (canonical)
hatsuon suru (romanization)
発音し (stem)
発音した (past)
発音し
はつおんし
hatsuon shi
発音する
はつおんする
hatsuon suru
発音すれ
はつおんすれ
hatsuon sure
発音せよ (imperative literary)
発音しろ (colloquial imperative)
はつおんせよ (imperative literary)
はつおんしろ (colloquial imperative)
hatsuon seyo (imperative literary)
hatsuon shiro (colloquial imperative)
発音される (passive)
はつおんされる (passive)
hatsuon sareru (passive)
発音させる (causative)
発音さす (causative)
はつおんさせる (causative)
はつおんさす (causative)
hatsuon saseru (causative)
hatsuon sasu (causative)
発音できる (potential)
はつおんできる (potential)
hatsuon dekiru (potential)
発音しよう (volitional)
はつおんしよう (volitional)
hatsuon shiyō (volitional)
発音しない (negative)
はつおんしない (negative)
hatsuon shinai (negative)
発音せず (continuative negative)
はつおんせず (continuative negative)
hatsuon sezu (continuative negative)
発音します (formal)
はつおんします (formal)
hatsuon shimasu (formal)
発音した (perfective)
はつおんした (perfective)
hatsuon shita (perfective)
発音して (conjunctive)
はつおんして (conjunctive)
hatsuon shite (conjunctive)
発音すれば (conditional hypothetical)
はつおんすれば (conditional hypothetical)
hatsuon sureba (conditional hypothetical)

[ha̠t͡sɨõ̞ɴ]


成田国際空港

ja-pos

なりた こくさい くうこう

成(なり)田(た)国(こく)際(さい)空(くう)港(こう) • (Narita Kokusai Kūkō)

成田国際空港 (canonical)
Narita Kokusai Kūkō (romanization)

成田 (なりた, narita) (Narita city) + 国際空港 (こくさいくうこう, kokusaikūkō)

新東京国際空港

新東京国際空港 しんとうきょうこくさいくうこう

成田空港

成田空港 なりたくうこう


病院

ja-noun

病(びょう)院(いん) • (byōin) ^(←びやうゐん (byauwin)?)

病院 (canonical)
byōin (romanization)
byauwin (romanization)
びやうゐん (hiragana historical)

→ Chuukese: pioing

→ Jeju: 벵완 (beng'wan)

→ Korean: 병원 (byeong'won)

→ Pohnpeian: pioing

→ Hokkien: 病院

病 (byō, “illness”) + 院 (-in, “institution”)


タイ

ja:タイ (音楽記号)


水墨画

水墨画 (canonical)
suibokuga (romanization)


付立

(painting) a style of ink painting that avoids painting outlines, and requires a special brush called a tsuketatefude.

付立筆 a type of brush used in tsuketate-style ink painting


宗教

ja-noun

宗(しゅう)教(きょう) • (shūkyō) ^(←しうけう (siukeu)?)

宗教 (canonical)
shūkyō (romanization)
siukeu (romanization)
しうけう (hiragana historical)

→ Chinese: 宗教 (zōngjiào)

→ Korean: 종교 (jonggyo)

→ Vietnamese: tôn giáo

From 宗 (shū, “sect”) + 教 (kyō, “doctrine, teaching”).
From two of the five Buddhist principles for interpreting sutras: 五重玄義 (literally “five-fold black reading”), namely 名 (myō, “name; title”), 体 (tai, “form”), 宗 (shū, “sect”), 用 (yū, “use”) and 教 (kyō, “teaching”). The literal interpretation is ambiguous, either 宗と教 (literally “sect and teaching”) or 宗の教 (literally “sectarian teaching”). Used as a translation of the western Christocentric concept of English religion in response to Western encroachment as well as in efforts to modernize Japan. Earlier alternative translations included 宗法 (shūhō), 宗旨 (shūshi) and 法教 (hōkyō).


警察署

警察署 (canonical)
keisatsusho (romanization)

From 警察 (“keisatsu: police”) + 署 (“sho: station/office”).

compound

警察署長

警察署長 けいさつしょちょう


太陽

太陽 (canonical)
taiyō (romanization)
taiyau (romanization)
たいやう (hiragana historical)

From Middle Chinese 太陽 (MC thajH yang, “sun”).

太陽電池

太陽電池 たいようでんち


少女

ja-noun

少(しょう)女(じょ) • (shōjo) ^(←せうぢよ (seudyo)?)

少女 (canonical)
shōjo (romanization)
seudyo (romanization)
せうぢよ (hiragana historical)

From Middle Chinese compound 少女 (MC syewX|syewH nrjoX|nrjoH). Compare modern Mandarin 少女 (shàonǚ).

少女歌劇

少女歌劇 しょうじょかげき

a kind of traditional Japanese light drama with no male actors and mostly young girls playing the parts

少女趣味

少女趣味 しょうじょしゅみ

hobbies or interest common to young girls

(anime, manga) a style of anime and manga made for young women, shojo


少女

From Old Japanese. Originally a compound of 乙 (oto, “young, little”) + 女 (me, “female, girl”). Compare 男 (otoko, “man”), originally meaning "young boy".

少女さび

behavior appropriate to an adult unmarried woman

a type of sea vegetable in order Ectocarpales

young woman who dances kagura at a shrine

少女文楽

少女文楽 おとめぶんらく

a kind of one-person puppet show performed by girls or young women

(mythology) a celestial maiden, a fairy, a nymph

(Shinto) a young woman dancer performing at the 五節 (Gosechi) ceremony in the eleventh lunar month


解決

解 (kai, “to solve”) + 決 (ketsu, “to decide”).

問題解決

問題解決 もんだいかいけつ

解決方法

解決方法 かいけつほうほう

解決手段

解決手段 かいけつしゅだん

(music) Progression from dissonance to consonance; a chord to which such progression is made; resolution


ハム

Daijisen
ja:ハム (曖昧さ回避)
ja:ハム (聖書)
ja:松村明


比丘

Borrowed from Pali bhikkhu, from Sanskrit भिक्षु (bhikṣu).


和尚

和尚 (canonical)
oshō (romanization)
wosyau (romanization)
をしやう (hiragana historical)

(Zen or Pure Land Buddhism) Buddhist priest

a Buddhist priest who is the head of a temple or in a higher rank.

住職

a Buddhist priest who is the head of the temple or in a higher rank

title and style for high ranked Buddhist priests.

a Buddhist priest master who gives instructions to other priests.


和尚

ja-noun

和(か)尚(しょう) • (kashō) ^(←くわしやう (kwasyau)?)

和尚 (canonical)
kashō (romanization)
kwasyau (romanization)
くわしやう (hiragana historical)

(Tendai or Kegon Buddhism) preceptor; high priest


和尚

和尚 (canonical)
wajō (romanization)
wazyau (romanization)
わじやう (hiragana historical)

(Shingon, Hosso, Ritsu or Shin Buddhism) preceptor; high priest


菩薩

/bosatɨ/ → /bosatʉ/ → /bosat͡sʉ/ → /bosat͡su/
Shift from bosachi below, adopting the kan'on reading for the second character, possibly indicating a later borrowing or other influence from Middle Chinese. Ultimately from Sanskrit बोधिसत्त्व (bodhi-sattva, literally “enlightened existence”) or Pali bodhisatta.
Compare modern Cantonese 菩薩 /菩萨 (pou⁴ saat³).

妙見菩薩

妙見菩薩 みょうけんぼさつ

(Buddhism) Short for 菩提薩埵 (bodai-satta): a bodhisattva

(archaic) a title applied to native Shinto deities after the spread of 本地垂迹 (honji suijaku, theological position prevalent until the Meiji period, explaining that Buddhist deities from India choose to appear in Japan as native kami)

in gagaku circles, a dancer dressed up as a bodhisattva


菩薩

/bosatɨ/ → /bosat͡ɕi/
From Middle Chinese 菩薩 (MC bu sat), an abbreviation of 菩提薩埵 (MC bu dej sat twaX), itself a transliteration of Sanskrit बोधिसत्त्व (bodhi-sattva, literally “enlightened existence”) or Pali bodhisatta. Uses the goon for both characters, indicating an earlier borrowing from Middle Chinese than the bosatsu reading above.

阿彌陀仏けうしのほさちおのおの白たんしてつくり奉りたる...

Amida-butsu kyōshi no bosachi onoono byakutan shite tsukuri tatematsuritaru...

(Buddhism, obsolete) Short for 菩提薩埵 (bodai-satta): a bodhisattva


摩訶薩埵

摩訶薩埵 (canonical)
makasatta (romanization)

From Middle Chinese 摩訶薩埵 (MC ma xa sat twaX), itself a transliteration of Sanskrit महासत्त्व (mahāsattva, “great creature; great being”).

bor

(Buddhism) Synonym of 摩訶薩 (makasatsu): a great bodhisattva


アニメ

→ English: anime

→ Malay: anime

→ Spanish: anime, ánime

→ Portuguese: anime, animé, animê

→ Russian: аниме (anime)

→ Hindi: ऐनिमे (ainime)

→ Burmese: အာနီမေ (anime)

→ Turkish: anime

Anime
Daijirin
Daijisen
Kyōsuke Kindaichi
Momotaro's Divine Sea Warriors
ja:アニメ
ja:松村明

Clipping of アニメーション (animēshon), itself borrowed from English animation.
Not directly related to French animé (“animated”).

(animation, anime) anime, Japanese animation

テレビアニメ


Ba

(music) Abbreviation of ベース (bē, “bass guitar (of a rock band)”).


P

From English producer. The VOCALOID sense may have arisen from an extension of the concept of producers in THE IDOLM@STER; both THE IDOLM@STER and VOCALOID were/are popular topics on the Niconico video sharing website.

プロデューサー プロデューサー#Japanese

(entertainment, music) Initialism of プロデューサー (purodyūsā, “producer”).

ささくれP

(more specifically) Used in the names of musicians who produce music featuring VOCALOID or adjacent software.


P

2Pカラー

プレイヤー プレイヤー#Japanese

(video games, only in compounds) Initialism of プレイヤー (pureiyā, “player”).


S

English: S

(chiefly video games) S, the highest rank or grade (above A) commonly used in ranking systems in video games


TS

ちなみに、なぜ日本で「TS」が一般的になったかというと、私が「yaysの性転換の館」開始時に、性同一障害に関するサイトから「TS」という用語を拝借してきて盛んに使っていたのも一因かもしれません。

2000, Yaesu, 八重洲メディアリサーチ [Yaesu Media Research], archived from the original on 2000-09-19:

By the way, as for why 'TS' became popular in Japan, it might be because when I started 'Yays Gender Transformation Mansion,' I borrowed the term 'TS' from websites related to gender dysphoria and used it extensively.

F氏「ＴＳの定義についての明記なんですが一体ＴＳの定義って・・・・？例の決まりあるあの一言でいいのかな？「このサイトは男性が女性、あるいは女性が男性に変化するようなことを主題として扱っているサイトです〜」

2000 May 28, Mr. F, “TS学入門 [Introduction to TS Studies]”, in TS-WEEK, archived from the original on 2006-06-06:

"Regarding specifying the definition of TS... what exactly is the definition of TS? Is it enough to have that one specified phrase like, 'This site deals with themes where men become women, or vice versa'?"

ＴＳＦという言葉が使われ始める前（１９９９，２０００年頃）には、Ｔｒａｎｓｓｅｘｕａｌの略語であるＴＳという言葉が、前述のＴＳＦの意味と同様の意味を表す言葉として用いられていました。この用法は、八重洲性転換の館（現：八重洲メディアリサーチ）の主催者である八重洲さんの提案によるものです。なお、今でも多くの人がＴＳＦと同じ意味でＴＳという言葉を使っています。

2015 June 4, F_TSF, “ＴＳＦとは [What is TSF?]”, in TSFのF [blog], archived from the original on 2015-08-10:

Before the term TSF came into use, the abbreviation "TS," standing for Transsexual, was used to convey a similar meaning around 1999-2000. This usage was proposed by Yaesu-san, the organizer of Yaesu Gender Transformation Mansion (now: Yaesu Media Research). Many people still use the term "TS" with the same meaning as TSF.

(fiction) genderswap; genderbend; sex change


TS

TSする (canonical)
tī-esu suru (romanization)
TSし (stem)
TSした (past)
TSし
ティーエスし
tīesu shi
TSする
ティーエスする
tīesu suru
TSすれ
ティーエスすれ
tīesu sure
TSせよ (imperative literary)
TSしろ (colloquial imperative)
ティーエスせよ (imperative literary)
ティーエスしろ (colloquial imperative)
tīesu seyo (imperative literary)
tīesu shiro (colloquial imperative)
TSされる (passive)
ティーエスされる (passive)
tīesu sareru (passive)
TSさせる (causative)
TSさす (causative)
ティーエスさせる (causative)
ティーエスさす (causative)
tīesu saseru (causative)
tīesu sasu (causative)
TSできる (potential)
ティーエスできる (potential)
tīesu dekiru (potential)
TSしよう (volitional)
ティーエスしよう (volitional)
tīesu shiyō (volitional)
TSしない (negative)
ティーエスしない (negative)
tīesu shinai (negative)
TSせず (continuative negative)
ティーエスせず (continuative negative)
tīesu sezu (continuative negative)
TSします (formal)
ティーエスします (formal)
tīesu shimasu (formal)
TSした (perfective)
ティーエスした (perfective)
tīesu shita (perfective)
TSして (conjunctive)
ティーエスして (conjunctive)
tīesu shite (conjunctive)
TSすれば (conditional hypothetical)
ティーエスすれば (conditional hypothetical)
tīesu sureba (conditional hypothetical)

美少女にTSしたい。

(fiction) to undergo a genderswap, genderbend, or sex change


U

(typography, newspapers) a unit in newspaper typesetting, equal to 11 mils, ¹¹⁄₁₀₀₀ in, ¹⁄₈ 倍 (bai) and ¹⁄₁₂₈ 段 (dan)


HDTV

ja-noun

エッチディー ティーブイ

HDTV (canonical)
etchidī tībui (romanization)

高精細度テレビジョン 高精細度テレビジョン#Japanese

high-definition television
high-definition television#English

(television) Synonym of 高精細度テレビジョン (kōseisaido terebijon, “high-definition television”); HDTV


CG

From English CG (“computer graphics” or “computer generated”).

der

CG集

digital art, especially referring to a singular drawing


DD

ja-noun

DD(ディーディー) • (dīdī)

誰でも大好き 誰でも大好き#Japanese

(often offensive, idol fandom) Short for 誰でも大好き (daredemo daisuki, “love everyone”).


新聞

lang

言(げん)泉(せん) : 日(にっ)本(ぽん)大(だい)辞(じ)典(てん). 第(だい)3(さん)巻(かん)

lj

􂀿言􂁀(げん)􂀿泉􂁀(せん) : 􂀿日􂁀(にっ)􂀿本􂁀(ぽん)􂀿大􂁀(だい)􂀿辞􂁀(じ)􂀿典􂁀(てん). 􂀿第􂁀(だい)􂀿3􂁀(さん)􂀿巻􂁀(かん)


百科事典

ja-noun

百(ひゃっ)科(か)事(じ)典(てん) • (hyakka jiten) ^(←ひやくくわじてん (fyakukwaziten)?)

百科事典 (canonical)
hyakka jiten (romanization)
fyakukwaziten (romanization)
ひやくくわじてん (hiragana historical)

[ça̠k̚ka̠ d͡ʑitẽ̞ɴ]

百科 (hyakka, “all categories”) + 事典 (jiten, “subject-book”)


TD

TD (canonical)
tawā difensu (romanization)

タワーディフェンス タワーディフェンス#Japanese

Initialism of タワーディフェンス (tawā difensu, “tower defense”).


ESP

超感覚的知覚 超感覚的知覚#Japanese

extrasensory perception
extrasensory perception#English

Synonym of 超感覚的知覚 (chōkankakuteki chikaku, “extrasensory perception”); ESP


SSR

SSR (canonical)
esu-esu-āru (romanization)

[e̞sɨe̞sɨa̠ːɾɯ̟]

(collectible card games, video games) super special rare, or any synonymous variations