"元首" meaning in Japanese

See 元首 in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: [ɡẽ̞ɰ̃ɕɨ] Forms: 元首 [canonical] (ruby: 元(げん), 首(しゅ)), genshu [romanization]
Etymology: From Middle Chinese compound 元首 (MC ngjwon syuwX, literally “first, prime + head”). Etymology templates: {{der|ja|ltc|-|sort=げんしゅ}} Middle Chinese, {{ltc-l|元首|id=1,1|lit=first, prime + head}} 元首 (MC ngjwon syuwX, literally “first, prime + head”) Head templates: {{ja-noun|げんしゅ}} 元(げん)首(しゅ) • (genshu)
  1. head of state (the chief public representative of a nation), ruler, sovereign Derived forms: 元首政 (genshusei) (ruby: 元首政(げんしゅせい)) (english: the principate, a type of government in ancient Rome, established under Augustus Caesar)
    Sense id: en-元首-ja-noun-N4TBNS5Z Categories (other): Japanese links with redundant alt parameters, Japanese links with redundant wikilinks, Japanese terms read with kun'yomi, Japanese terms read with on'yomi, Japanese terms with 2 kanji, Japanese terms with Atamadaka pitch accent (Tōkyō), Japanese terms with multiple readings, Japanese terms with redundant sortkeys Disambiguation of Japanese links with redundant alt parameters: 41 12 47 Disambiguation of Japanese links with redundant wikilinks: 54 22 24 Disambiguation of Japanese terms read with kun'yomi: 49 17 34 Disambiguation of Japanese terms with 2 kanji: 47 19 34 Disambiguation of Japanese terms with multiple readings: 47 18 35
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 1

Noun

IPA: [mo̞to̞kɯ̟bʲi] Forms: 元首 [canonical] (ruby: 元(もと), 首(くび)), motokubi [romanization]
Etymology: Compound of 元 (moto, “origin, base”) + 首 (kubi, “neck, head”). Etymology templates: {{compound|ja|元|首|sort=もとくび|t1=origin, base|t2=neck, head|tr1=moto|tr2=kubi}} 元 (moto, “origin, base”) + 首 (kubi, “neck, head”) Head templates: {{ja-noun|もとくび}} 元(もと)首(くび) • (motokubi)
  1. (rare) the base of the neck Tags: rare
    Sense id: en-元首-ja-noun-UpvDCOfe Categories (other): Japanese terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys, Japanese links with redundant alt parameters Disambiguation of Japanese links with redundant alt parameters: 41 12 47
  2. (rare) (by extension upwards) the head Tags: rare
    Sense id: en-元首-ja-noun-~c1QUHwq Categories (other): Japanese terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys, Japanese entries with incorrect language header, Japanese links with redundant alt parameters, Japanese terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys Disambiguation of Japanese entries with incorrect language header: 40 7 53 Disambiguation of Japanese links with redundant alt parameters: 41 12 47 Disambiguation of Japanese terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys: 29 26 45
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 2
{
  "etymology_number": "1",
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ja",
        "2": "ltc",
        "3": "-",
        "sort": "げんしゅ"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle Chinese",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "元首",
        "id": "1,1",
        "lit": "first, prime + head"
      },
      "expansion": "元首 (MC ngjwon syuwX, literally “first, prime + head”)",
      "name": "ltc-l"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle Chinese compound 元首 (MC ngjwon syuwX, literally “first, prime + head”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "元首",
      "ruby": [
        [
          "元",
          "げん"
        ],
        [
          "首",
          "しゅ"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "canonical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "genshu",
      "tags": [
        "romanization"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "げんしゅ"
      },
      "expansion": "元(げん)首(しゅ) • (genshu)",
      "name": "ja-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Japanese",
  "lang_code": "ja",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "41 12 47",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese links with redundant alt parameters",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "54 22 24",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese links with redundant wikilinks",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "49 17 34",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese terms read with kun'yomi",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese terms read with on'yomi",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "47 19 34",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese terms with 2 kanji",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese terms with Atamadaka pitch accent (Tōkyō)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "47 18 35",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese terms with multiple readings",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese terms with redundant sortkeys",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "derived": [
        {
          "english": "the principate, a type of government in ancient Rome, established under Augustus Caesar",
          "roman": "genshusei",
          "ruby": [
            [
              "元首政",
              "げんしゅせい"
            ]
          ],
          "translation": "the principate, a type of government in ancient Rome, established under Augustus Caesar",
          "word": "元首政"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "head of state (the chief public representative of a nation), ruler, sovereign"
      ],
      "id": "en-元首-ja-noun-N4TBNS5Z",
      "links": [
        [
          "head of state",
          "head of state"
        ],
        [
          "ruler",
          "ruler"
        ],
        [
          "sovereign",
          "sovereign"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "[ɡẽ̞ɰ̃ɕɨ]"
    },
    {
      "other": "げんしゅ"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "ja:"
  ],
  "word": "元首"
}

{
  "etymology_number": "2",
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ja",
        "2": "元",
        "3": "首",
        "sort": "もとくび",
        "t1": "origin, base",
        "t2": "neck, head",
        "tr1": "moto",
        "tr2": "kubi"
      },
      "expansion": "元 (moto, “origin, base”) + 首 (kubi, “neck, head”)",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Compound of 元 (moto, “origin, base”) + 首 (kubi, “neck, head”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "元首",
      "ruby": [
        [
          "元",
          "もと"
        ],
        [
          "首",
          "くび"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "canonical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "motokubi",
      "tags": [
        "romanization"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "もとくび"
      },
      "expansion": "元(もと)首(くび) • (motokubi)",
      "name": "ja-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Japanese",
  "lang_code": "ja",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "41 12 47",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese links with redundant alt parameters",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "the base of the neck"
      ],
      "id": "en-元首-ja-noun-UpvDCOfe",
      "links": [
        [
          "base",
          "base"
        ],
        [
          "neck",
          "neck"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) the base of the neck"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "40 7 53",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "41 12 47",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese links with redundant alt parameters",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "29 26 45",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "(by extension upwards) the head"
      ],
      "id": "en-元首-ja-noun-~c1QUHwq",
      "links": [
        [
          "head",
          "head"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) (by extension upwards) the head"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "[mo̞to̞kɯ̟bʲi]"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Daijirin"
  ],
  "word": "元首"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Japanese compound terms",
    "Japanese entries with incorrect language header",
    "Japanese lemmas",
    "Japanese links with redundant alt parameters",
    "Japanese links with redundant wikilinks",
    "Japanese nouns",
    "Japanese terms derived from Middle Chinese",
    "Japanese terms read with kun'yomi",
    "Japanese terms read with on'yomi",
    "Japanese terms spelled with second grade kanji",
    "Japanese terms spelled with 元 read as げん",
    "Japanese terms spelled with 元 read as もと",
    "Japanese terms spelled with 首 read as くび",
    "Japanese terms spelled with 首 read as しゅ",
    "Japanese terms with 2 kanji",
    "Japanese terms with Atamadaka pitch accent (Tōkyō)",
    "Japanese terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "Japanese terms with IPA pronunciation missing pitch accent",
    "Japanese terms with IPA pronunciation with pitch accent",
    "Japanese terms with multiple readings",
    "Japanese terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
    "Japanese terms with redundant sortkeys",
    "Pages with 3 entries",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "english": "the principate, a type of government in ancient Rome, established under Augustus Caesar",
      "roman": "genshusei",
      "ruby": [
        [
          "元首政",
          "げんしゅせい"
        ]
      ],
      "translation": "the principate, a type of government in ancient Rome, established under Augustus Caesar",
      "word": "元首政"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": "1",
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ja",
        "2": "ltc",
        "3": "-",
        "sort": "げんしゅ"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle Chinese",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "元首",
        "id": "1,1",
        "lit": "first, prime + head"
      },
      "expansion": "元首 (MC ngjwon syuwX, literally “first, prime + head”)",
      "name": "ltc-l"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle Chinese compound 元首 (MC ngjwon syuwX, literally “first, prime + head”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "元首",
      "ruby": [
        [
          "元",
          "げん"
        ],
        [
          "首",
          "しゅ"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "canonical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "genshu",
      "tags": [
        "romanization"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "げんしゅ"
      },
      "expansion": "元(げん)首(しゅ) • (genshu)",
      "name": "ja-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Japanese",
  "lang_code": "ja",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "head of state (the chief public representative of a nation), ruler, sovereign"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "head of state",
          "head of state"
        ],
        [
          "ruler",
          "ruler"
        ],
        [
          "sovereign",
          "sovereign"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "[ɡẽ̞ɰ̃ɕɨ]"
    },
    {
      "other": "げんしゅ"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "ja:"
  ],
  "word": "元首"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Japanese compound terms",
    "Japanese entries with incorrect language header",
    "Japanese lemmas",
    "Japanese links with redundant alt parameters",
    "Japanese links with redundant wikilinks",
    "Japanese nouns",
    "Japanese terms read with kun'yomi",
    "Japanese terms spelled with second grade kanji",
    "Japanese terms spelled with 元 read as もと",
    "Japanese terms spelled with 首 read as くび",
    "Japanese terms with 2 kanji",
    "Japanese terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "Japanese terms with IPA pronunciation missing pitch accent",
    "Japanese terms with multiple readings",
    "Japanese terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
    "Pages with 3 entries",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "etymology_number": "2",
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ja",
        "2": "元",
        "3": "首",
        "sort": "もとくび",
        "t1": "origin, base",
        "t2": "neck, head",
        "tr1": "moto",
        "tr2": "kubi"
      },
      "expansion": "元 (moto, “origin, base”) + 首 (kubi, “neck, head”)",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Compound of 元 (moto, “origin, base”) + 首 (kubi, “neck, head”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "元首",
      "ruby": [
        [
          "元",
          "もと"
        ],
        [
          "首",
          "くび"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "canonical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "motokubi",
      "tags": [
        "romanization"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "もとくび"
      },
      "expansion": "元(もと)首(くび) • (motokubi)",
      "name": "ja-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Japanese",
  "lang_code": "ja",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "Japanese terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
        "Japanese terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "the base of the neck"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "base",
          "base"
        ],
        [
          "neck",
          "neck"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) the base of the neck"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Japanese terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
        "Japanese terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "(by extension upwards) the head"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "head",
          "head"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) (by extension upwards) the head"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "[mo̞to̞kɯ̟bʲi]"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Daijirin"
  ],
  "word": "元首"
}

Download raw JSONL data for 元首 meaning in Japanese (4.4kB)

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Japanese dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-09-20 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-09-02 using wiktextract (d6fca27 and 65e1673). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.