梅雨
Chinese
| plum flower | rain | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| simp. and trad. (梅雨) |
梅 | 雨 | |
| variant forms | 霉雨 | ||
| Literally: “plum rain”. | |||
Etymology
Refers to the plums ripening during this rainy season.
Pronunciation
Japanese
| Kanji in this term | |
|---|---|
| 梅 | 雨 |
| Grade: 4 | Grade: 1 |
| Irregular | |
Etymology 1
Unclear. Likely theories include:
- May be cognate with Old Japanese-derived noun 露 (tsuyu, “dew, dewdrop”), from the way the rainy season causes everything to be covered in drops that may look like dew. However, the pitch accent differs, as 露 has patterns 1 or 2, while 梅雨 has pattern 0.
- Alternatively, may be cognate with Old Japanese-derived verb 熟ゆ (tsuyu, “to become ripe”, obsolete, replaced by modern form 熟える tsueru), as plums ripen during the rainy season. In light of the pitch accent, this derivation appears more likely.
Etymology 2
| Kanji in this term | |
|---|---|
| 梅 | 雨 |
| ばい Grade: 4 |
う Grade: 1 |
| on’yomi | |
From Middle Chinese compound 梅雨 (literally “plum + rain”), in poetic reference to the season when plums grow.[3][2]
Alternatively, the 黴雨 spelling may have been the original spelling. This is homophonous in Middle Chinese, and literally means mold + rain, in reference to how moldy things get during this season of constant humidity.[3][2]
Alternative forms
- 黴雨
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