文書

文書

1. document
2. official correspondence
3. (literary) secretary
4. (literary) written language; writing; script
5. (literary) books; works

From Middle Chinese compound 文書 (*miən *shiu). Compare modern Chinese 文書 (wénshū).

The kan'on reading, so likely a later borrowing. Now the most common reading for this term.

• On’yomi: Kan’on
  • (Tokyo) ぶ​んしょ [búꜜǹshò] (Atamadaka – [1])[1]
  • IPA^(key): [bɯ̟̃ᵝɰ̃ɕo̞]

文書 (hiragana ぶんしょ, rōmaji bunsho)

1. a document, a written record

   文 (ぶん)書 (しょ)でお問 (と)い合 (あ)わせください。

   Bunsho de otoiawase kudasai.

   Please contact us in writing.

   物語 (ものがたり)を丸 (まる)ごと文 (ぶん)書 (しょ)に書 (か)き留 (と)めた。

   Monogatari o marugoto bunsho ni kakitometa.

   She wrote down the whole story. / She got the whole story down on paper.

2. a letter, an epistle

   文 (ぶん)書 (しょ)を頻 (ひん)繁 (ぱん)に交 (か)わしていた。

   Bunsho o hinpan ni kawashite ita.

   They frequently exchanged letters.

• (writing): 文章
• (letter, epistle): 手紙

From Middle Chinese compound 文書 (*miən *shiu), with rendaku for the 書 character. The sho changes to jo as an instance of rendaku (連濁). Compare modern Chinese 文書 (wénshū).

The goon reading, so likely the initial borrowing. Less common reading in modern Japanese.

• On’yomi: Goon
  • (Tokyo) も​んじょ [móꜜǹjò] (Atamadaka – [1])[1]
  • IPA^(key): [mõ̞ɲ̟d͡ʑo̞]

文書 (hiragana もんじょ, rōmaji monjo)

1. a document
2. (in palaeography) a written text between two parties

• 古文書 (こもんじょ, ​komonjo): an ancient document

Archaic alteration of monjo above.

• Irregular
• IPA^(key): [mõ̞nzo̞]

文書 (hiragana もんぞ, rōmaji monzo)

1. (archaic) a document
2. (archaic) (in palaeography) a written text between two parties

Compound of 文 (fumi, “writing; a letter, an epistle”) +‎ 書 (kaki, “writing”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of verb 書く kaku, “to write”).[2] The kaki changes to gaki as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

• Kun'yomi
• IPA^(key): [ɸɯᵝmiŋa̠ki]

文書 (hiragana ふみがき, rōmaji fumigaki)

1. (archaic) the act of writing of a letter or correspondence
2. (archaic) the writing in a letter or correspondence, especially the style or appearance
   • c. 1001–1014, Murasaki Shikibu, Genji Monogatari (text here):

     古代なる御文書きなれど

     こだいなるおおむふみがきなれど

     Kodai naru ōmu-fumigaki naredo

     The writing is old-fashioned, but...